22 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



President's order of January 24, L906, held twenty-six meetings dur- 

 ing the year and reported on one hundred and one manuscripts sub- 

 mitted for publication, besides numerous blank forms for use in the 



bureaus of the Institution. 



Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, of the National Museum, has been added 

 to the committee, which consists of the following members: Dr. Cyrus 

 Adler, Assistant Secretary, chairman ; Dr. F. W. True, of the United 

 States National Museum; Mr. F. W. Hodge, of the Bureau of Ameri- 

 can Ethnology; Dr. Frank Baker, of the National Zoological Park; 

 Mr. C. G. Abbot, of the Astrophysical Observatory; Mr. W. I. 

 Adams, of the International Exchanges; Mr. A. Howard Clark, of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, and Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, of the 

 United States National Museum. 



The printing committee has had under consideration the advan- 

 tage of a uniform system of abbreviation of works cited by natural- 

 ists in their publications. A preliminary list of abbreviations has 

 been prepared for the criticism of the scientific staff of the Institution 

 and its branches. 



Dating of publications. — Among the questions considered by the 

 printing committee was the dating of publications, particularly such 

 papers as contain descriptions of new genera or species in natural 

 history, and upon the recommendation of the committee the Institu- 

 tion has adopted the rule that " whenever fifty copies of any paper 

 shall have been mailed or distributed by messenger, the paper shall 

 be regarded as having been published, it being understood that the 

 date of such mailing or distribution shall coincide with the date of 

 record in the Smithsonian document rooms and with the date printed 

 upon the publication." 



Durable bool' paper. — The introduction of a very large portion of 

 wood pulp and ground wood in book paper to the exclusion of cotton 

 or linen rags formerly used in its manufacture •has been found greatly 

 to decrease the durability of modern publications. The printing com- 

 mittee, after considering this problem, concluded that paper hereafter 

 used in Smithsonian publications should be composed of not less than 

 50 per cent of rag stock and be free from injurious chemicals. Defi- 

 nite specifications as to the composition of paper will later be formu- 

 lated, in cooperation with the Executive Departments. 



THE LIBRARY. 



The total accessions during the year to the Smithsonian library 

 aggregated in volumes and parts 34,382. The major part of these 

 was placed in the Smithsonian deposit in the Library of Congress, 

 but these accessions include the libraries of the Secretary's office, the 

 National Museum, the Astrophysical Observatory, and the National 



