[Ses + aie aa ae easy sy oY ont. fy YAR GE eG dire 4 eh Bate C Sis a tetreety + ig eb eg aul. 9 36TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Sit Doc. 2d Session. i ae ANNUAL REPORT { E ewer OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, SHOWING THE OPERATIONS, EXPENDITURES, AND CONDITION OF THE INSTITUTION FOR THE YEAR 1860. WASHINGTON: GEORGE W. BOWMAN, PRINTER. r 1861. WITHDRAWN FROM . In THE Houser or REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, February 28, 1861. Resolved, That there be printed five thousand extra copies of the Report of the Smithson- ian Institution for the year 1860; three thousand for the use of the members of the House, and two thousand for the use of said Institution. Attest: JOHN W. FORNEY, Clerk. LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, COMMUNICATING The Annual Report of the operations, expenditures, and condition of the Institution for the year 1860. Fesrvary 27, 1861.—Read, and ordered to be printed. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Washington, February 25, 1861. Str: In behalf of the Board of Regents, I have the honor to submit to the House of Representatives of the United States the Annual Report of the operations, expenditures, and condition of the Smithsonian Insti- tution for the year 1860. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. Hon. WILLIAM PENNINGTON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. ANNUAL REPORT. OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS ‘OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, SHOWING THE OPERATIONS, EXPENDITURES, AND CONDITION OF THE INSTITU- TION UP TO JANUARY 1, 1861, AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD UP TO FEBRUARY 22, 1861. To the Senate and House of Representatives: In obedience to the act of Congress of August 10, 1846, establishing the Smithsonian Institution, the undersigned, in behalf of the Regents, submit to Congress, as a report of the operations, expenditures, and condition of the Institution, the following documents: 1. The Annual Report of the Secretary, giving an account of the operations of the Institution during the year 1860. 2. Report of the Executive Committee, giving a general statement of the proceeds and disposition of the Smithsonian fund, and also an account of the expenditures for the year 1860. 3. Proceedings of the Board of Regents up to February 22, 1861. 4, Appendix. Respectfully submitted. R. B. TANEY, Chancellor. JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary. OFFICERS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. JAMES BUCHANAN, Ex officio Presiding Officer of the Institution. ROGER B. TANEY, Chancellor of the Institution. ’ JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary of the Institution. SPENCER F. BAIRD, Assistant Secretary. W.W. SEATON, Treasurer. WILLIAM J. RHEES, Chief Clerk. JAMES A. PEARCE, } ALEXANDER D. BACHE, }| Executive Committee. JOSEPH G. TOTTEN, 4 REGENTS OF THE INSTITUTION. JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE, Vice President of the United States. ROGER B. TANEY, Chief Justice of the United States. JAMES G. BERRET, Mayor of the City of Washington. JAMES A. PEARCE, member of the Senate of the United States. JAMES M. MASON, member of the Senate of the United States. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, member of the Senate of the United States. WILLIAM H. ENGLISH, member of the House of Representatives. L. J. GARTRELL, member of the House of Representatives. BENJAMIN STANTON, member of the House of Representatives. GIDEON HAWLEY, citizen of New York. * GEORGE E. BADGER, citizen of North Carolina. CORNELIUS C. FELTON, citizen of Massachusetts. ALEXANDER D. BACHE, citizen of Washington. JOSEPH G. TOTTEN, citizen of Washington. * Vacancy caused by the death of Hon. Richard Rush. MEMBERS EX OFFICIO OF THE INSTITUTION. JAMES BUCHANAN, President of the United States. JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE, Vice President of the United States. LEWIS CASS, Secretary of State. HOWELL COBB, Secretary of the Treasury. JOHN B. FLOYD, Secretary of War. ISAAC TOUCEY, Secretary of the Navy. JOSEPH HOLT, Postmaster General. J.S. BLACK, Attorney General. ROGER B. TANEY, Chief Justice of the United States. P. F. THOMAS, Commissioner of Patents. JAMES G. BERRET, Mayor of the City of Washington. HONORARY MEMBERS. BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, of Connecticut. A.B. LONGSTREET, of Mississippi. JACOB THOMPSON, Secretary of the Interior, (ex officio.) PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATION OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. [PRESENTED IN THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, AND ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS, DECEMBER 13, 1847.] INTRODUCTION. General considerations which should serve as a guide in adopting a Plan of Organization. 1. Wit oF Smrruson. The property is bequeathed to the United States of America, ‘‘to found at Washington, under the name of the SMITHSONIAN InstrTUTION, an establishment for the increase and diffu- sion of knowledge among men.’’ 2. The bequest is for the benefit of mankind. The government of the United States is merely a trustee to carry out the design of the testator. 3. The. Institution is not a national establishment, as is frequently supposed, but the establishment of an individual, and is to bear and perpetuate his name. 4, The objects of the Institution are, Ist, to increase, and 2d, to diffuse knowledge among men. 5. These two objects should not be confounded with one another. The first is to enlarge the existing stock of knowledge by the addi- tion of new truths; and the second, to disseminate knowledge, thus increased, among men. 6. The will makes no restriction in favor of any particular kind of knowledge; hence all branches are entitled to a share of attention. 7. Knowledge can be increased by different methods of facilitating and promoting the discovery of new truths; and can be most exten- sively diffused among men by means of the press. 8. To effect the greatest amount of good, the organization should be such as to enable the Institution to produce results, in the way of increasing and diffusing knowledge, which cannot be produced either at all or so efficiently by the existing institutions in our country. 9. The organization should also be such as can be adopted provis- ionally, can be easily reduced to practice, receive modifications, or be abandoned, in whole or in part, without a sacrifice of the funds. 10. In order to compensate, in some measure, for the loss of time - occasioned by the delay of eight years in establishing the Institution, 8 : PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATION. a considerable portion of the interest which has accrued should be added to the principal. 11. In proportion to the wide field of knowledge to be cultivated, the funds are small. Economy should therefore be consulted in the construction of the building; and not only the first cost of the edifice should be considered, but also the continual expense of keeping it in repair, and of the support of the establishment necessarily connected with it. There should also be but few individuals permanently sup- ported by the Institution. toe 12. The plan and dimensions of the building should be determined by the plan of organization, and not the converse. 13. It should be recollected that mankind in general are to be bene- fited by the bequest, and that, therefore, all unnecessary expenditure on local objects would be a perversion of the trust. 14. Besides the foregoing considerations deduced immediately from the will of Smithson, regard must be had to certain requirements of the act of Congress establishing the Institution. These are, a library, a museum, and a gallery of art, with a building on a liberal seale to contain them. SECTION I. Plan of Organization of the Institution in accordance with the foregowng deductions from the will of Smithson. . To Increase Knowneper. It is \proposed— 1. To stimulate men of talent to make original researches, by offer- ing facilities for the preparation of memoirs containing new truths; and 2. To appropriate annually a portion of the income for particular researches, under the direction of suitable persons. To Dirruszk Know.eper. It is proposed— 1. To publish a series of periodical reports on the progress of the different branches of knowledge; and _ 2. To publish occasionally separate treatises on subjects of general interest. DETAILS OF THE PLAN TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE. I.—By stimulating researches. 1. Facilities afforded for the production of original memoirs on all branches of knowledge. _ 2, The memoirs thus obtained to be published in a series of volumes, = a quarto form, and entitled Smithsonian Contributions to Knowl- edge. | 3. No memoir on subjects of physical science to be accepted for publication which does not furnish a positive addition to human knowledge, resting on original research; and all unverified specula- tions to be rejected. . 4. Each memoir presented to the Institution to be submitted for examination to a commission of persons of reputation for learning in PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATION. 9 the branch to which the memoir pertains; and to be accepted for pub- lication only in case the report of this commission is favorable. 5. The commission to be chosen by the officers of the Institution, and the name of the author, as far as practicable, concealed, unless a favorable decision be made. 6. The volumes of the memoirs to be exchanged for the transactions of literary and scientific societies, and copies to be given to all the colleges and principal libraries in this country. One part of the remaining copies may be offered for sale; and the other carefully pre- served, to form complete sets of the work, to supply the demand from new institutions. 7. An abstract, or popular account, of the contents of these memoirs to be given to the public through the annual report of the Regents to Congress. Il.—By appropriating a part of the income, annually, to special objects of research, under. the direction of suitable persons. 1. The objects, and the amount appropriated, to be recommended by counsellors of the Institution. 2. Appropriations in different years to different objects, so that, in course of time, each branch of knowledge may receive a share. 3. The results obtained from these appropriations to be published with the memoirs before mentioned, in the volumes of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. 4. Examples of objects for which appropriations may be made: (1.) System of extended meteorological observations for solving the problem of American storms. (2.) Explorations in descriptive natural history, and Begtneitall magnetical, and topographical surveys, to collect ‘materials for the formation of a Physical Atlas of the United States. (3.) Solution of experimental problems, such as a new determination of the weight of the earth, of the velocity of electricity, and of light; chemical analy ses of soils and plants; collection and "publication of scientific facts accumulated in the offices of the government. (4.) Institution of statistical inquiries with Teference to physical, moral, and political subjects. (5. y Historical researches and accurate surveys of places celebrated in American history. (6.) Ethnological researches, particularly with reference to the dif- ferent races of men in North America; also, explorations and accurate surveys of the mounds.and other remains of the ancient people of our country. DETAILS OF THE PLAN FOR DIFFUSING KNOWLEDGE. I.— By the publication of a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge not strictly professional. 1. These reports will diffuse a kind of knowledge generally interest- ing, but which, at present, is inaccessible to the public, Some of the 10 PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATION, reports may be published annually, others at longer intervals, as the income of the Institution or the changes in the branches of knowledge may indicate. ( 2. The revorts are to be prepared by collaborators eminent in the different branches of knowledge. ‘ 3. Each collaborator to be furnished with the journals and publica- tions, domestic and foreign, necessary to the compilation of his report ; to be paid a certain sum for his labors, and to be named on the title- page of the report. 4. The reports to be published in separate parts, so that persons interested in a particular branch can procure the parts relating to it without purchasing the whole. 5. These reports may be presented to Congress for partial distri- bution, the remaining copies to be given to literary and scientific institu- tions, and sold to individuals for a moderate price. The following are some of the subjectsewhich may be embraced in the reports: I. PHYSICAL CLASS. 1. Physics, including astronomy, natural philosophy, chemistry, and meteorology. 2. Natural history, including botany, zodlogy, geology, &e. 3. Agriculture. 4. Application of science to arts. II. MORAL AND POLITICAL CLASS. 5. Ethnology, including particular history, comparative philology, antiquities, &c. 6. Statistics and political economy. 7. Mental and moral philosophy. 8. A survey of the political events of the world, penal reform, &c. II. LITERATURE AND THE FINE ARTS. 9. Modern literature. 10. The fine arts, and their application to the useful arts. 11. Bibliography. é; 12. Obituary notices of distinguished individuals. II, By the publication of separate treatises on subjects of general interest. 1. These treatises may occasionally consist of valuable memoirs translated from foreign languages, or of articles prepared under the direction of the Institution, or procured by offering premiums for the best exposition of a given subject. ’ 2. The treatises should, in all cases, be submitted to a commission of competent judges previous to their publication.- PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATION. 11 3. As examples of these treatises, expositions may be obtained of the present state of the several branches of knowledge mentioned in the table of reports. SECTION II. Plan of organization, in accordance with the terms of the resolutions of the Board of Regents providing for thé two modes of increasing and diffusing knowledge. 1. The act of Congress establishing the Institution contemplated the formation of a library and a museum; and the Board of Regents, in- cluding these objects in the plan of organization, resolved to divide the income* into two equal parts. 2. One part to be appropriated to increase and diffuse knowledge by means of publications and researches, agreeably to the scheme before given. The other part to be appropriated to the formation of a library and a collection of objects of nature and_of art. 3. These two plans are not incompatible one with another. 4, To carry out the plan before described, a library will be required, consisting, Ist, of a compkete collection of the transactions and pro- ceedings of all the learned societies in the world ; 2d, of the more im- portant current. periodical publications, and other works necessary in preparing the periodical reports. 5. The Institution should make special collections, particularly of objects to illustrate and verify its own publications. 6. Also, a collection of instruments of research in all branches of experimental science. 7. With reference to the collection of books, other than those men- tioned above, catalogues of all the different libraries in the United States should be procured, in order that the valuable books first pur- chased may be such as are not to be found in the United States. 8. Also, catalogues of memoirs, and of books and other materials, should be collected for rendering the Institution a centre of biblio- graphical knowledge, whence the student may be directed to any work which he may require. 9. It is believed that the collections in natural history will increase by donation as rapidly as the income of the Institution can make pro- vision for their reception, and, therefore, it will seldom be necessary to purchase articles of this kind. 10. Attempts should be made to procure for the gallery of art casts of the most celebrated articles of ancient and modern sculpture. 11. The arts may be encouraged by providing a room, free of ex- pense, for the exhibitionsof the objects of the Art-Union and other similar-societies. *The amount of the Smithsonian bequest received into the Treasury of the MURILe MRS EALESUIS ase imeneedanscretaelencn gto watrnsussussinesiceseek soculctesasacisneedncaseneencniga $915,169 00 Interest on the same to July 1, 1846, (devoted to the erection of the building).. 242,129 00 Annual income from the bequest PNM nceC aparece racaccssns sad ssaedce scene ceeveeaesiecseens ses 30,910 14: 12 PROGRAMME OF ORGANIZATION. 12) A small appropriation should annually be made for models of antiquities, such as those of the remains of ancient temples, &c. _ 13. For the present, or until the building is fully completed, besides the Secretary, no permanent assistant will be required, except one, to act as librarian. 14. The Secretary, by the law of Congress, is alone responsible to the Regents. He shall take charge of the building and property, keep a record of proceedings, discharge the duties of librarian and keeper of the museum, and may, with the consent of the Regents, employ assistants. 15. The Secretary and his assistants, during the session of Congress, will be required to illustrate new discoveries in science, and to exhibit new objects of art ; distinguished individuals should also be invited to give lectures on subjects of general interest. This programme, which was at first adopted provisionally, has be- come the settled policy of the Institution. The only material change is that expressed by the following resolutjons adopted January 15, 1855, viz: fesolved, That the 7th resolution, passed by the Board of Regents on the 26th of January, 1847, requiring an equal division of the in- come between the active operations and the museum and library, when the buildings are completed, be and it is hereby repealed. Resolved, That hereafter the annual appropriations shall be appor- tioned specifically among the different objects and operations of the Institution in such manner as may, in the judgment of the Regents, be necessary and proper for each, according to its intrinsic importance, and a compliance in good faith with the law. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. To the Board of Regents : GENTLEMEN: From the facts presented in the following report of the operations ofthe Institution, I trust it will-be apparent to your honor- able Board and the public that nothing has occurred since your last session to interfere with the plan of organization, or with the trans- actions authorized in accordance with it; on the contrary, I think it will be evident that the labors to increase and diffuse knowledge have been unremitting, and that the results of these labors have met the approval and drawn forth the commendation of intelligent men in every part of the civilized world. It will also appear that due attention has been paid to the finances, and although the expectation of assistance from the Patent Office on account of meteorology has not been realized, yet the expenditures have been kept within the receipts. The annual income of the original bequest has been received from the Treasury of the United States, and the interest on the extra fund invested in State stocks has been promptly paid. From the report of the executive committee, it will be seen that there were $15,034 11 in the hands of the treasurer at the beginning of the year 1860; and that, on the closing of the accounts for receipts and payments for the past year, there is a balance on hand of $16,521 95. There are, however, outstanding bills, on account of work already contracted for, amount- ing to about $4,000, principally for publications which belong to the year 1861. From this statement, it is apparent that the Institution could wind up its affairs at the present time with all the original fund bequeathed by Smithson in the Treasury of the United States, with an investment of $140,000 in State stocks, a balance in cash in its treasury of upwards of $12,000, and an extensive building containing a valuable library and collection of apparatus; and, for the history of its opera- 14 ‘ REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. tions, could refer to twelve volumes of transactions and to other publi- cations which have been printed, and are now to be found in all the principal libraries of the world; to a system of international exchange which has been inaugurated and successfully prosecuted for the last ten years; to an accumulation of a large amount of material in regard to the meteorology and physical geography of the North American continent, and to perhaps the largest collection which has ever been made of the natural history of the same region; and therefore, as far as they are responsible, the administrators could render a satisfactory account of the important trust confided to their care. We hope, how- ever, notwithstanding the threatening aspect of our political affairs, that the time will be far distant when this Institution will be obliged to finally close its accounts. We trust that there is honesty, intelli- gence, and liberality sufficient in this country, whatever may be its political condition, to sacredly guard the bequest which was-intrusted with unhesitating faith to the people of the United States for the good of mankind. The policy of the Institution, from the beginning, has not been merely to collect and hoard up materials for local purposes, but in every way to promote the cause of science generally, by a liberal but prudent expenditure of its income in advancing among men the various branches of knowledge to which its efforts have been directed. For example, a great amount of labor has been expended in collecting specimens of natural history; and it will be seen, by the remarks on the collections that active measures are now in progress for rendering the results widely available for the purposes of science and education, by a general distribution of the duplicates. The several objects to which the expenditures and labors of the Institution have been devoted during the last year, are nearly the same as those mentioned in previous reports; and in describing them we shall follow the order heretofore adopted. Publications.—The twelfth volume of the Smithsonian Contribution to Knowledge has been completed, and will be ready for distribution as Soon as it comes from the hands of the binder. It consists of 537 quarto pages, and is illustrated by three plates and twelve wood cuts. The following is a list of its contents : I. Astronomical observations in the Arctic seas, by Elisha Kent Kane, M. D. II. On fluctuations of level in the North American lakes, by Charles Whittlesey. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 15 III. Meteorological observations made at Providence, Rhode Island, for 284 years, by Prof. Alexis Caswell. IV. Meteorological observations made near Washington, Arkansas, for 20 years, by Dr. Nathan D. Smith. V. Researches upon the venom of the rattlesnake, with an investi- gation of the anatomy and physiology of the organs concerned, by Dr. 8. W. Mitchell. 1. The first of the papers mentioned above forms the third part of the series of memoirs on the results of the observations of Dr. Kane, during the second Grinnell expedition. An account of the first and second numbers of the series, relating to magnetism and meteorology, has been given in the two preceding reports. The third, or present paper, gives the discussions and results of the astronomical ob- servations which were made, principally at Van Rensselaer harbor, the winter quarters of the expedition during 1853-54-55. These observations were under the especial care of Mr. August Sonntag. The principal instruments employed were two sextants by Gambey, divided to ten seconds, a theodolite, a transit instrument, and five mean time chronometers. The observatory consisted of four walls of granite - blocks cemented together with moss and frozen water. The transit and theodolite were mounted on piers formed of an extemporaneous conglomerate of gravel and ice, well rammed down into iron-hooped casks, and afterwards consolidated by water. Thus constructed, they were found to be as firm as the rocks on which they rested. The first observations for latitude were made with the theodolite, and later ones by means of a sextant and artificial horizon, on the moon and moon-culminating stars. The time was noted by a pocket chronometer. The instrument was properly adjusted in posi- tion, but in consequence of the high latitude and the extreme cold, this was avery difficult operation. The angle of elevation was, in many cases, observed by the reflection of the image of the object from a mercurial horizon; the bubble of the level having been rendered useless by the extreme reduction of temperature to which it was subjected. Observations were also made on occultations and eclipses, namely: the occultation of Saturn, December 12, 1853; of the same planet, January 8, 1854, and February 4, 1854; of Mars, February 13, 1854; and on the solar eclipse of May 15, 1855. In the occultations of Saturn, the disappearance and reappearance of the more prominent points of the ring were accurately noted, and the results have been elaborately discussed by Mr. Schott. From all the observations, the’ 16 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. longitude finally adopted for the observatory of Van Rensselaer harbor was 70° 52! 45” west from Greenwich. It may be interesting to remark that the degree of longitude in this high latitude is a little less than twelve nautical miles, (11.88.) , Besides the astronomical observations at Van Rensselaer Harbor, a number were made on the coast of Greenland when the expedition was on its way to its winter quarters, and aseries for determining latitudes by travelling parties at different points in. the regions explored. From the full discussion of the whole series of observations both for latitudes and longitudes a new map which accompanies the paper has been protracted. This map differs from that given in Dr. Kane’s nar- rative in shifting the position of the shore line of Kennedy Channel to the southward about nineteen nautical miles. The highest point of the eastern shore line traced on the corrected map is in latitude 80° 56’, and that on the western side of the channel 82° 7’. These are the northern limits of the exploration of the Grinnell expedition. The fourth and last series of discussions and results of observations made by Dr. Kane during the second expedition has also been printed, and will form a part of the thirteenth volume of the Smithsonian Contributions. It relates to the tides in the Arctic seas. Occasional observations on the height of, water were taken after passing Smith’s straits, but the principal number recorded were made at Van Rens- selaer Harbor. The series at this place commenced in September, 1853, and was continued to January, 1855. The observations during this period are very unequal in value, owing mainly to physical diffi- culties. The observations, by means of a sounding line or staff, were subject to irregularities from a slow movement of the vessel, which, though imbedded in the ice a greater part of the year, was not entirely stationary. The observations, by means of a string passing over a pulley and attached to a float, were also subject to certain irregularities due to an occasional slipping of the rope over the pulley, and another small variation caused by the gradual rising of the deck of the vessel above the level of the water, in consequence of her becoming lighter by the daily consumption of provisions and fuel. In discussing these observations it was necessary in the first place to reduce the measurements to the same zero or level of the sea. To effect this, two curve lines were traced on paper, the upper one including the maximum rise of water for each day, and the other the lowest water for the same time. An intermediate line traced equidistant from these curves was then assumed to represent the mean elevation, and this straightened out was adopted as the axis of the mean level of the sea. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. ia/@ The corrections fér referring each observation to the standard level were taken from this diagram—no allowance being considered necessary for a change in the variation of the mean level of the sea. All the observa- tions properly corrected are given ina series of tables. From these: tables, another series was deduced, exhibiting in one view the apparent time of high and low water, and the corresponding passages of the moon over the meridian, its declination and comparative distance from the earth. These latter tables were again plotted, and from the curves thus produced it appears that the average time of the occurrence of a series of 480 high waters at Van Rensselaer harbor was eleven hours and forty-three minutes after the passage of the moon across the meri- dian, corresponding to a mean declination of the sun and moon of sixteen degrees. In like manner from 485 observations, the average time of low water occurred seventeen hours and forty-eight minutes after the passage of the moon over the meridian. The average interval of time between the high and low water was six hours and five minutes. The tide wave at Van Rensselaer Harbor may be considered as trans- mitted from the Atlantic ocean, and only in part modified by the small tide originated in the waters of Baftin’s Bay. This latter tide must necessarily be small, since the direction of the long and comparatively narrow bay is at right angles to that which would be most favorable to the production of a disturbance of this kind. That the ocean tide wave actually travels up along the coast of Greenland, or, in other words, that itreaches Van Rensselaer Harbor from the south, is proved by comparing the time of high water at different places along the west coast of Greenland. Having the velocity of the tide wave along Baffin’s Bay and Smith’s Straits, the depth of the water may be approximately obtained. As- suming the distance along the channel, between Holsteinborg and Van Rensselaer Harbor, to be 770 nautical miles, the tidal wave has a velocity of 202 feet in a second, which, according to Airy’s table, would correspond to a depth of about 1,300 feet. In the same manner, by comparing the co-tidal hours at Upernavik with those of Van Rensselaer Harbor, a resultant depth of nearly 4,800 feet is obtained. These two may be considered as the limits of the depths in Baffin’s Bay and Smith’s Straits. Besides the points noticed, several others are fully discussed in this paper. Among these is what is called the diurnal inequality, or the difference between the height of the two tides at the same phases of the moon, depending principally on her position with reference to the 9» aol 18 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. equator, as well as on her passage across the superior and inferior meridian of the place. The moon produces high water at the same instant of time on opposite sides of the earth, and were she constantly to move in the plane of the equator, the highest points of these tides would also be in the plane of the equator, and would consequently produce a series of equal tides at any place either’ north or south of this line. But it is evident that, when she ascends to the north, the “plane of the highest tide will tip in the same direction, giving the ‘highest point of one tide in the northern and the highest point of the other tide in the southern hemisphere. Consequently, when the moon has a northern declination, the tide at any place in the northern hem- isphere which follows immediately after her passage across the me- ridian will be higher than one which passes twelve hours later. This variation in the height of the two tides is called the diurnal inequality. From theoretical considerations it would not be anticipated that this inequality should be well marked in such high northern regions; but since the movement of the water at Van Rensselaer’s Harbor is not due directly to the action of the sun and moon, but is the effect of an im- mense wave propagated from the Atlantic through Baffin’s Bay and Smith’s Straits, this inequality becomes well marked. About the time of the moon’s maximum declination, the difference between the day and night tide was two and a half feet. By an ex- amination of the diagrams on which the elevations of the tides are exhibited, it is seen that sometimes the day and sometimes the night tides are the highest; and, furthermore, that the difference vanishes a day or two after the moon crosses the equator, and that it reaches its maximum a few days after the moon attains its greatest declination north or south. The form of the tide wave is also investigated and expressed in a diagram, from which it appears that the spring tide wave is slightly steeper between low and high water than between high and low water, or, in other words, that the water rises more rapidly than it falls, and also that the neap-tide wave is nearly symmetrical, the rise and fall taking place in nearly equal times. The tabulated observations were also investigated in reference to the varying position of the sun and moon, giving rise to what is called the half monthly inequality, and the result of this is also plainly in- dicated by diagrams, for the high water as well as for the low. This paper, as we have stated, completes the results of the discussions of the series of observations made under the direction of Dr. Kane, and, by themselves, or in connection with other researches in the Arctic REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 19 Tegions, are valuable additions to our knowledge of the physical geog- raphy of the earth. I regret to be obliged to state that since the publication of the paper on the winds at Van Rensselaer Harbor, some doubt has arisen as to the proper interpretation of the original record. It is stated by Dr. Kane that the observations of wind were uncorrected for magnetic variation. In consequence of this statement a correction was applied by Mr. A. Schott to reduce them to the true meridian. Mr. Sonntag, one of the principal observers, after his return from Mexico, asserted that the observations of the wind were recorded in reference to the true meridian, and therefore required no correction. The same state- ment was subsequently made independently by Dr. Hayes. An ap- pendix has therefore been prepared for the series giving the correc- tions to be applied to the tables, in order that the results may be in conformity with either assumption. The weight of testimony would appear to be in favor of the supposition that the records of the wind at Van Rensselaer Harbor were recorded with reference to the true north; but the question cannot be fully settled until other observations from the same place are obtained. The next paper in- the 12th volume of Contributions is on the fluctuations of the level of the surface of the North American lakes. It has long been known that the great interior fresh water seas of North America are subject to variations of level. From the observa- tions given in this paper and others previously published, the fluctua- tions are of three kinds: First. A general rise and fall, extending through a period of many years, which may be called the secular variation of level. It evidently depends on peculiar changes in the meteorology of the country drained, and although it may probably have a regular period of return, this has not yet been determined. Second. An annual rise and fall, the period of which is completed in about twelve months, which is caused by the changes of the seasons, can be predicted with considerable certainty, and is properly called the annual variation. Third. An irregular movement, producing frequently a sudden elevation, from a few inches to several feet. This is of two kinds, one evidently due to the wind, and the other result- ing from rapid undulations in calm water. Both classes may be styled transient fluctuations. To these a fourth may be added, ac- cording to a late publication by Colonel Graham, United States Army, which is a true lunar tide. The author of this paper professes to haye condensed from all sources within his reach information respect- * ing the fluctuations of the water since the settlement of the country. 20 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. The whole is arranged in tables giving the dates of observation and the authorities from which they have been obtained. Although these tables are doubtless very incomplete, they have been accepted for pub- lication as contributions to the subject,*to be corrected and enlarged by subsequent observations. A series of observations accurately made with properly arranged tidal instruments, such as are employed on the coast survey, and continued for a number of years, would be of much interest to science, as well as of value to commerce in the construction of wharves and the selection of harbors. Such a series has been established under the direction of Captain Meade, United States Topographical Engineers, which, with the observations under the direction of Colonel Graham, at Chicago, will furnish, if continued, the data required. We think it not improb- able that, if the series is sufficiently extended, a law of periodicity will be discovered in the recurrence of the long intervals of rise and decline, and that these will have some relation to a periodical variation of the seasons in a series of years. The most remarkable phenomena in regard to the fluctuations of the lakes are those of the fitful oscillations in which sometimes a sudden rise occurs of several feet at a particular place in calm weather, and also a series of minor agitations. The simplest hypothesis for the explanation of these phenomena is, that they are produced by the passage of atmospheric waves, such as are caused by thunder-storms, and perhaps in some cases by water-spouts, across distant parts of the lake. It is well established by observation at,the Smithsonian Insti- tution, as well as at other places, that rapid oscillations of the barom- eter accompany the passage of thunder-storms across the meridian. The mercury suddenly descends, then rises a little, and again falls, and after this regains its former level as the storm passes off to the east. A thunder-storm, therefore, in crossing the lake, would cause an elevation of water directly under it, which, in subsiding, would give rise to undulations, and these arriving in succession from every point of the path of the storm would produce effects similar to those which have been noted. Since the whole lunar tide of the ocean does not exceed five or six feet, the effect of the moon even on such large bodies of water as those of the upper lakes must be very small. Colonel Graham finds the difference between high and low water at spring tides, at Chicago, on Lake Michigan, to be about three inches and a half, and to occur at thirty minutes after the passage of the moon over the meridian. It is probable that the height of the tide on Lake Superior would be greater, REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 21 than this, and might best be observed at the narrowing portion of the extreme western end of the lake. The twelfth volume of Contributions will also contain the records of meteorological observations made at Providence, by Prof. Caswell, an account of which was given in the last report. This series of observations occupies 179 of the largest quarto pages which can be introduced into the volumes of the Smithsonian Contributions. They comprise a record of the barometer and thermometer made three times a day, the direction and force of the wind, and the face of the sky for the same period; also, the depth of rain, together with a column of general remarks on casual phenomena. The series is terminated by a number of general tables—the first giving the monthly and annual mean height of the barometer during the whole term of years; the second, the monthly and annual mean height of barometer at sunrise or 6a. m., 1 or 2p.m., and 10 p.m.; third, monthly and annual mean temperatures, deduced from the three observations daily ; fourth, monthly and annual mean temperatures at sunrise or 6 a. m., lor2p.m.,and 10 p.m.; fifth, monthly and annual maximum and minimum temperatures and range ; sixth, the number of days in each month in which the prevailing winds came from each of the four quar- ters of the horizon ; seventh, mean force of the wind at the different hours of observation, and for the month and year; eighth, mean cloudiness of the sky at the different hours of observation, and the mean for the month and the year ; ninth, monthly and annual number of days in which the weather was clear, variable, or cloudy—on which rain or snow fell; the tenth, monthly and annual quantity of rain and snow in inches. From the records themselves an account of the weather on any day for twenty-eight years past may be obtained. From the general tables we can determine the connection of the variations of the barometer with the changes of the weather, and deduce rules of practical import- ance as well as of scientific interest. From the tables of the records of the thermometer, we find that the mean temperature of Providence for the whole time is 48° 19’, and that during the twenty-eight years of observation the oscillation on either side of this, with the exception of four years, is within a single degree. The coldest year way that of 1836; the warmest was 1848. The warmest January was that of 1843, and the coldest that of 1857, which was also the coldest single month of the whole period. Onanaverage, the coldest month of the year is February ; the warmest month is July; and the warmest month of any summer of the whole period was August, 22, REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 1848; and the next warmest, July, 1838. The mean annual amount of rain is 40.38 inches, distributed with considerable regularity. The month in which the most rain falls, on an average, is August; and that in which the least falls is February. Another paper in the twelfth volume of Contributions is a series of meteorological observations, similar to the preceding, made at Wash- ington, Arkansas, by Dr. Nathan D. Smith. The place at which these observations were made is on the summit of the dividing ridge between the waters of the Red river and those of the Washita, fifteen miles northeast of Fulton and twenty south of the Little Missouri. From this ridge there is no higher level for a long distance; but to the northwest there is a gradual ascent for about fifty miles, to the foot of the mountains. The records are of observations of the temperature at sunrise through- out the year, and at 2 p.1n. in the winter, and 3 p. m. in the summer; amount of rain, and remarks on the sjpatluets with the daily mean temperature, and monthly mean, maximum, minimum, and range, from January 1, 1840, to December 31, 1859, a period of twenty years. Appended to these observations are tables giving the following summa- ries for each month and year and for the whole series of twenty years: 1. Extremes of temperature. The highest temperature at sunrise and at 2 or 3 p. m.; the mean eeu of the warmest day ; the lowest temperature at sunrise and at 2 or 3 p. m.; and the mean temperature of the coldest day. 2, Variations of temperature. Range of temperature at sunrise and at 2 or 3 p. m., and of the daily mean temperature; the extreme range of temperature; the greatest rise and fall of temperature from sunrise of one day to sunrise of the next day ; the greatest rise and fall from 2 or an? p. m. of one day to 2 or 8 p. m. of the next day. Mean temperatures. Means at sunrise and at 2 or 3 p. m.; of months, years, and seasons; and of each day, as deduced from. the observations for the whole twenty years. 4, The amount of rain for each month and year, and monthly and annual means for the whole series. These tables, as in the case of those for Providence, furnish a series of interesting facts. For example: the mean temperature of the whole period is 61.81°; the warmest month is July, the coldest January; the warmest year was 1854, the coldest year was 1843. The coldest New Year’s day recorded was that of 1840, the mean temperature of which was 22°; the warmest 1846 and 1855, the mean temperature of each being 51°, From these tables it appears that the coldest day in the. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 23 year, as deduced from the average of twenty years, is the 18th of January, and the warmest the 15th of July. The mean annual amount of rain is 54.70 inches; the month of the greatest rain is April; of the least rain, September. - The last paper in the twelfth volume of Contributions consists of an account of researches upon the venom of the rattlesnake, with the investigations of the anatomy and physiology of the organs concerned, by 8S. Weir Mitchell, M. D. This paper gives an account of a series of investigations relative to a subject which, from an almost instinctive aversion to venomous snakes and the danger to which the student is exposed, has received compara- tively little attention. With the exception of the essays of Barton and Brainard, the literature of this subject in this country has been’ confined to scattered notices and incomplete statements of cases found in the pages of numerous medical journals, and, indeed, if we except a few works of Hurope and India, in no part of the world has modern science done much to further this inquiry. The author first gives an account of his observations on the habits of the rattlesnake when in captivity. From ten to thirty-five snakes were kept together in the same box without exhibiting the slightest signs of hostility to one another. Even when snakes were suddenly dropped upon their fellows no attempt was made to annoy the new comers, while the intrusion of a pigeon or a rabbit immediately roused the reptiles when they were in vigorous health. The habits of this snake in confinement are singularly inactive. In warm weather, when least sluggish, they lie together in a knotted mass, occasionally changing their position, and then relapsing into a state of perfect rest. This sluggish condition is dangerously deceptive, since it gives no indication of the rapidity of their motion when aroused. This reptile seldom eats in captivity. The author has kept one alive for a year without food, and though he made every effort to tempt the snakes to eat, he has never seen them disposed to avail themselves of food when placed within their reach. Some of them were forcibly fed by placing milk and insects in their throats, yet when even this precaution was not taken, provided the snakes had water, they continued healthful, and secreted a large amount of venom. The author’s observations add nothing‘towards confirming. the idea of the disputed power of fascination in the snake. Birds, guinea-pigs, mice, and dogs, put into the cage generally exhibited no terror after the alarm had subsided occasioned by having been dropped into the box. The small birds soon became singularly familiar with the snakes, 24 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. and were seldom molested even if caged with six or eight large ones. Mice also lived on terms of confiding intimacy, sitting on the heads of the snakes and running over their coils, apparently unconscious of danger. Larger animals were not so safe in this, especially if they moved rapidly. All the animals frequently manifested an evident curiosity which prompted them to approach the snake, but this was sometimes reproved by a blow, particularly when a dog indulged his inquisitiveness by approaching his nose too close in the act of smelling. In a state of rest no odor is observed from the snake; but when it is roughly disturbed and induced to throw itself into contortions, a thin stream of yellow or dark brown fluid is ejected, the odor of which is extremely disagreeable. The author next describes, from his own dissections, the anatomy of the parts connected with the secretion and expulsion of the venom. He also gives a full and complete account of the part played by the various muscles in the act of inflicting a wound. When preparing to strike, the snake throws his body into a coil, and by a violent contrac- tion of the muscles which lie on the convexity of the bends, a portion of the body is immediately straightened and the head thrown forward in a direct line to a distance not exceeding one half of its length. The hooked fangs are made to enter the flesh of the victim and retained there until the venom is injected by a series of muscular contractions miautely detailed in the description. From this it appears that the animal may sometimes fail to inflict injury when seeming to do so. A knowledge of these facts is essential to a proper study of antidotes for the bite of the rattlesnake. The venom is yellow, acid, glutinous, and of a specific gravity of 104. It is devoid of taste, smell, and acridity ; begins to coagulate at 140° Fah., and is soluble in water. It consists, first, of analbuminoid substance, which is coagulable by pure alcohol, but not by a heat of 212° Fah. This material is the poisonous element, and receives from the author the name of crotaline ; second, of an albuminoid compound, coagulable both by heat and by alcohol, and not poisonous; third, a yellow coloring matter and an undetermined substance, both soluble in alcohol ; fourth, a trace of fatty matter and of free acid; fifth, saline ‘bodies, chlorine, and phosphates. The venom gland presents some anatomical analogy to that in which the saliva of other animats is formed; but there is an entire want of physiological resemblance between the venom and the saliva. It was found that no temperature from zero to 212° Fah. destroyed the pois- enous property of the venom, which also remained unaltered when it REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 25 was treated with acids and alkalies at moderate temperatures, or with alcohol, chlorine water, iodine, &c. It prevented the germination of seeds planted in it, but did not destroy the vitality of large plants inoculated with it, nor did it interfere with saccharine fermentation nor with the accompanying growth of sporules. The effect of the venom on cold blooded animals was studied on frogs and on the rattlesnake itself. In both the symptoms were like those in warm blooded animals, but very much slower of development. In the latter the effects were examined on pigeons, reed-birds, rabbits, eninea-pigs, and dogs, in all of which careful examination of the post- mortem lesions were made. The influence of the venom on the tissues and fluids of the economy is given in detail, and the following are some of the conclusions arrived at: In all animals which die within a very short period after being bitten, there is no other lesion than’the wound, the blood and tissues both being normal in appearance. In animals whose lives are pro- longed, the blood is diseased and the tissues more or less altered. The venom is not absorbed by the stomach or the skin, but when drawn into the lungs of a pigeon it is fatal. The bite is attended with no primary inflammation, and the local swelling is due to effu- sion of fluid or semi-fluid blood. The muscles wounded by the fang are affected with twitching at first, and afterwards undergo a peculiar softening, and become more liable to rapid putrefaction than other parts. The muscular irritability ceases earlier than in ordinary cases of death, while the rigidity occurs as usual. The intestinal motions and those of the cilia are unaltered. The heart becomes enfeebled shortly after the bite, from direct influence of the venom on this organ, and not from the loss of the respiratory functions. Notwithstanding the diminution of its power, the heart is usually in motion after the lungs cease to act, and its tissues remain for a long time locally irri- table. The paralysis of the heart is therefore not so complete as it is under the influence of upas or corroval. In warm-blooded animals artificial respiration prolongs the contractile power of the heart, but does not sustain it as long as when the animal has died by woorara or decapitation. In the frog, the actions of the heart continue after res- piration has ceased, and sometimes survive until the sensory nerves and the nerve centres are dead, the motor nerves alone remaining irritable. In warm-blooded animals, respiration ceases, owing to paralysis of the nerve centres. The sensory nerves, and the centres of nerve power in the medulla spinalis and medulla oblongata, lose their vitality before the motor nerves become affected. 26 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. In cold-blooded animals the muscular system retains its irritability for a considerable time after death, so that this cannot be due to its loss. The first effect of the venom being to depress the vital energy of the heart and nerve centres, a resort to stimulants is clearly indi- cated as the only rational mode, in our present state of knowledge, of early constitutional treatment. In chronic poisoning, death is due to the continued influence of venom on the heart and nerve centres, and to secondary alterations of the blood and tissues. In these cases the fibrin of the blood is more or less dissolved, and the corpuscles are rarely and slightly altered, and not at all in animals which die soon after being bitten. The venom produces changes analogous to those in cases of yellow fever and some other maladies. These conclusions rest on a series of apparently well-devised and carefully-executed experiments. They are principally original results, and the whole paper must, therefore, be considered a valuable addition to our knowledge of this interesting subject. Attached to the memoir is an appendix containing an enumeration of the genera and species of rattlesnakes, with synonomy and refer- ences by E. D. Cope; also, a full bibliography of the subject by the author, with critical and analytical notices of the works mentioned; and this, with the authorities given by Mr. Cope, furnishes a complete list of all writers either on the natural history, or on the anatomy, physiology, and toxicology of venomous serpents in general. The paper is illustrated with wood cuts, and the author acknowledges his indebtedness to this Institution for aid in procuring the serpents which were essential to his investigations. Professor Bache has presented for publication the second of his series of discussions of the magnetic observations made at Girard College between the years 1840 and 1845. Part 1 of this series, which is described in the last report, related to the investigation of the eleven-year period, or that which is coincident with the recurrence of frequency. of the spots on the sun, and to other variations of the needle connected with solar action. The present paper relates to the influ- ence of the moon on the variation of the magnetic needle. The existence of a sensible lunar effect on the magnetism of the earth has been established by the labors of Sabine and others; it is, however, of much importance to confirm and extend their results by the discussion of independent observations. In the previous paper the method was shown by which the several influences of the sun were eliminated from the observations, leaving residuals from which the lunar influence could be deduced, the method being that followed by . REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. yi General Sabine in his reduction of the results of the British observa- tions.- The records, after having been corrected for the influence of the sun and other perturbations, were arranged in tables, correspond- ing to the several hours of the day, commencing with the upper transit of the moon over the meridian. ‘lo ascertain whether the different parts of these series would give harmonious results, the whole number tabulated, 21,644, was divided into three groups, the first compris- ing nineteen months, the second, twenty-one months, and the third, eighteen months. From these it-was found that the results were nearly proportioned to the number of observations, which indicated that no constant error of much magnitude existed. The three groups were next discussed by means of Bessel’s formula, two terms of which were found sufficient to give a curve representing the observations ; and as a constant term was not found necessary in the construction of this curve, it was inferred that the moon exerted no specific constant action on the needle, or, in other words, that the magnetism of the moon is not per se, but is of that kind called inductive, which is due to the action of some extraneous body. The curves by which the results of the discussion are represented show two east and two west deflections in a lunar day, the maxima east and west occurring about the time of the upper and lower transit of the moon over the meridian, and the minima about at the interme- diate sixth hour. In comparison with the effects of other forces operating on the mag- netic needle, that of the moon is exceedingly small, and could not have been detected previous to the introduction of the more refined instru- ments and methods of investigation which have been invented within the last twenty years. The total range at Philadelphia scarely reaches thirty seconds, and at Toronto it is only a little more than thirty-eight seconds. The principal western maximum deviation occurs six minutes after the moon passes the lower meridian, and amounts to 13.8 seconds of arc. The secondary maximum occurs fourteen minutes after the upper culmination, and amounts to 10.8 seconds. The principal eastern maximum of variation takes place six hours and seventeen minutes after the lower culmination, the deflection being 13.2 seconds. The secondary easterly maximum occurs at six hours three minutes after the upper transit, and amounts to 11.4 seconds. The effect of the moon appears to be subject to a variation depending on the solar year, for the investigation of which the preceding results were arranged in two groups—one containing the hourly values for 7” 28 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. the summer months, and the others those for the winter months. After being subjected to a similar process of reduction, it was found from these that the lunar variation is much smaller in amplitude in winter than in summer, and also that the maxima and minima occur earlier in the former than in the latter season, the winter curve pre- ceding the summer curve by about an hour and three quarters. Professor Bache next proceeded to ascertain whether the phases, declination, or parallax of the moon have any sensible effect on the magnetic variation. Dr. Kreil, from the discussion of ten years’ ob- servation at Prague, concluded that there was no specific change in the position of the magnet depending on the moon’s phases or parallax, but that the variation was sensibly greater when the moon was at its ereatest northern declination. On the contrary, Mr. Brown, from a much shorter series of observations in India, inferred that there was a minimum of variation two days after the full moon. To investigate these points, the lunar variation for the days of full and new moon, and for two succeeding days, were compared with the average monthly variation ; the results indicate that the north .end of the magnet is deflected six seconds to the westward at full moon ‘ and as much to the eastward on the day of new moon. This quantity is not much beyond the probable error of observation, but a more definite result could hardly be expected from a series extending over but five years. The period of the observations is also too short to exhibit any definite variation depending on the moon’s greatest northern or southern declination, and the same remark may be applied to the effect of the varying dis- tance of the moon. Professor. Bache proposes, in another paper, to extend the discussion to the moon’s influence on the variation in the intensity of the magnetic force of the earth. I neglected to mention in the last report that, besides the magnetic observations made by Professor Bache in coéperation with the system inaugurated by the British association, two other series were carried on simultaneously—one in the city of Washington, by Lieutenant Gilliss, of the United States Navy, and the other by Professor Bond, of Harvard University. The observations of Lieutenant Gilliss were made once in two hours with a bar eleven inches long, observed with a micrometer microscope reading to seconds of arc, and were continued from July 7, 1840, to June 30, 1842, a period of two years. Beside the bi-hourly series, another was made on term days, viz: on the 23d and 24th of each month, from September, 1840, to June, 1842, in which the position of the needle was recorded at intervals of every five minutes. Professor Bond’s observations at Cambridge extended REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 29 from 1837 to 1845. The observations of Lieutenant Gilliss were pub- lished by order of the Senate of the United States; but have not been discussed in reference to the various influences to which the needle is subjected. Those of Professor Bond are still in manuscript, but will probably be published in due time, as a part of the labors of the Harvard observatory. The fact was mentioned in the last report, that a small appropriation - had been made, to assist in defraying the expense of the necessary material and apparatus for an investigation undertaken by Professor Wolcott Gibbs relative to the ores of platinum, of which the following is an account: Samples of the ores of platinum, according to Gmelin, were first brought to Europe in the year 1741. In 1748, the metal was described by Don Antonio de Ulloa as a metallic stone, which, when present in large quantity, prevents the working of the gold ores. Watson recog- nized platinum as a distinct metal in 1750, and after that period very numerous investigations were published in regard to it. In 1804, Wollaston announced the discovery of palladium and rhodium in the ‘ raw platinum ores, and shortly afterward Smithson Tennant showed that the same ore contained two other metals, which he called iridium and osmium. Finally, in 1844, Claus discovered ruthenium. The investigation of the metals accompanying platinum has always been regarded as one of peculiar difficulty, in consequence of the remarkable analogies between the chemical properties of the metals themselves. The comparatively recent discovery of ruthenium illustrates this point in a striking manner. All previous investigations related chiefly to mixtures of the metals in various proportions, hardly a single one having been obtained ina state of purity. Claus’s most elaborate and successful investigation threw a new light on the whole subject, with- out, however, removing all the difficulties which accompany a complete separation of the different metals. In 1859, Deville and Debray pub- lished a detailed memoir on the working of the ores of platinum upon a large scale, and on the physical properties of the different metals. In this very valuable paper, methods of fusing large quantities of platinum are given, the processes employed being, however, essen- tialiy the same as those successfully used in this country by Dr. Hare many years since. The purely chemical question of the complete separation of the different metals of the platinum group from each other, remained unsolved. The investigations of Dr. Gibbs have been undertaken partly to supply this deficiency, and partly in consequence of his dis- 30 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. covery of a very remarkable series of compounds containing osmium, ruthenium, or iridium. ‘These investigations have thus far been suc- cessful, a few difficulties only remaining to be overcome. They have not merely yielded wholly new methods of separation, but have re- sulted in the discovery of an entirely new class of salts, possessing much theoretical and practical interest. It is by means of these salts that Dr. Gibbs has succeeded in effecting a satisfactory separation of the different metals of the group. The memoir embodying a detailed description of the processes of Dr. Gibbs will consist of four. parts. The first will treat of the methods of bringing the ores into a soluble condition ; the second, of the methods of separating the metals from each other ; the third, of the new salts and bases discovered ; and the fourth, of the general relations of the metals of the group. A large part of the work is already completed, and the author expects to have the whole ready for the press 1s a few months. Beside the papers described, a number of others have been accepted for publication, or are in preparation, at the expense of the Smithson- ian fund. Among the former we may mention an elaborate memoir on the anatomy of the human liver, by Dr. Schmidt, of New Orleans, of which the following are the principal points: 1. The accumulation of additional evidence of the existence of a network of capillary vessels previously discovered by the author, and described by him as ‘‘ biliary tubules,’’ from which start the smallest hepatic ducts. This network is independent of that in which the smallest branches of the porta- vein, hepatic artery, and veins arise. 2. The discovery of minute lymphatics of the liver, and their origin in the network of biliary tubules, by which a communication between the hepatic ducts and lymphatics is established. 3. The discovery of lymphatic vessels, directly joining small hepatic ducts, by which a second communication between these vessels is established. 4. A minute description of a system of small follicular and racemose glands, the ducts of which form extensive plexuses throughout the liver, and their relationship to the other constituents of the organ. These glands have been imperfectly described by some authors, but their true relations have never been known. 5. The discovery of a communication of the lymphatics with the ducts of these glands. As many of the latter join the hepatic ducts, a third communication between the lymphatics and hepatic ducts is thus indirectly established. The memoir also contains several other points of minor importance, together with a minute description of the blood vessels, hepatic cells, &c., perhaps more definite than has heretofore been given. The dis- REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. ok covery of a natural communication between the hepatic ducts and lymphatics of the liver, according to the author, is of great import- ance, for it explains the phenomena of jaundice as they occur in certain diseases. It also explains why the large lymphatics on the surface of the liver are frequently found filled with bile after death. The appen- dix to the memoir contains a description of the best method of making minute injections, together with the apparatus used for the purpose. In addition to the foregoing, an original mathematical paper on the intersection of circles and spheres, has been presented by Major Alvord, of the United States Army. Among the memoirs in preparation is one on Arctic meteorology, from the original observations made under the direction of Sir F. Leo- pold McClintock, during his late voyage in search of Sir John Frank- lin, and presented to this Institution by the author, for discussion and publication. A full account of this paper and the preceding will be given in the next annual report. Under the head of Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, the follow- ing works have been published during the past year: 1. Instructions in reference to collecting nests and eggs of North American birds ; illustrated with wood cuts. 2. Circular in reference to the history of North American grasshop- pers; prepared by Mr. P. R. Uhler. ‘ 3. Circular in reference to collecting North American shells. 4, Circular addressed to the officers of the Hudson’s Bay Company, relative to the registration of meteorological phenomena, and the col- lection of objects of natural history. This circular is accompanied by a letter from the late Sir George Simpson, governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s territory, commending the requests of the Institution to the favorable consideration of all persons connected with the com- pany. 5. Check lists of the shells of North America, prepared for the Institution by Isaac Lea, P. P. Carpenter, W. Stimpson, W. G. Bin- ney, and T. Prime. These lists were prepared for the purpose of labeling the specimens in the Smithsonian collection, but as it was thought they would be of general value in the indication of species inhabiting this continent and the adjacent islands, in facilitating the preparation of catalogues, the labeling of collections, and conducting exchanges, it has been thought proper to print them for distribution. 6. List of duplicate shells of the Indo-Pacific Fauna, collected by the United States exploring expedition under Captain Wilkes. 32 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 7. Catalogue of the described lepidoptera of North America, by Dr. John G. Morris. This catalogue enumerates over 2,000 species of butterflies, moths, &c., which occur in the United States proper. ‘‘Yet there is reason to believe,’’ says the author, ‘‘that hundreds still remain to be discovered.’’ In the preparation of this catalogue, all accessible books have been consulted, and itis believed that few descrip- tions of American lepidoptera have been overlooked. The classifica- tion adopted is that recommended in part by Herrich-Schaeffer and Walker ; but in some of the familes, Guénée has been followed. The following works are in preparation for publication in the Smith- sonian miscellaneous collections: 1. Elementary introduction to the study of conchology, by P. P. Carpenter, of Warrington, England. 2. List of the species of shells collected by the United States ex- ploring expedition, by the same author. 3. Descriptive catalogue of the shells of the west coast of the United States, Mexico, and Central America, by the same author. 4, Bibliography of North American conchology, by W. G. Binney. 5. Descriptive catalogue of the air-breathing shells of North Amer- ica, by the same author. 6. Catalogue of North American crustacea, in the museum of the Smithsonian Institution, by W. Stimpson, M. D. 7. Catalogue of the described Neuroptera of North America, by Dr. H. Hagen; edited by P. R. Uhler. 8. Classification of the Coleoptera of North AaNOvEER, by Dr. John L. Le Conte. 9. Descriptive list of the diurnal lepidoptera of North America, by Dr. J. G. Morris. 10. Descriptive catalogue of the hymenoptera of North America, by H. De Saussure. 11. Descriptive catalogue of the diptera of North America, by Dr. Dr. H. Loew and Baron Osten Sacken. 12. Catalogue of North American orthoptera, hemiptera, and homop- tera, by P. R. Uhler. Most of these are nearly completed, and will be published during the year 1861. The thanks of the Institution are due to the gentlemen whose names have been mentioned in connection with the preparation of the several works just mentioned, since their labors have been bestowed for the advance of science, without any other reward than that which might flow from the reputation justly due to the authors of such productions. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. . 33 _ The works on insects have been prepared especially to facilitate the study of this branch of natural history—a taste for which has much increased in this country of late years, principally through the exer- tions of the Smithsonian Institution ; and it is believed that, with the growing enthusiasm manifested for this study, specimens of nearly all the species which inhabit North America will soon be collected and accurately described. The practical bearing of a knowledge of ento- mology, in its application to agriculture and the arts, as well as in its scientific relation to general zodlogy and physical geography, have been pointed out in previous reports. I may mention, however, as an interesting fact exhibiting the relation of animal life to the peculiarities of climate and soil in different parts of the world, that Baron Osten Sacken has ascertained that the same species of insects which inhabit the arid plains of the western portion of our continent are nearly identical with those found on the steppes of Russia. The next class of publications of the Institution consists of the series of annual Reports to Congress. The first reports were in pamphlet form, and merely gave an account of the operations of the Institution and the proceedings of the Regents. Hach report, however, since 1853, consists of a volume in which is given, in an appendix, some of the lectures delivered at the Institution, extracts from correspondence, and information of a character suited to the meteorological observers and other persons interested in the promotion of knowledge. The first volume of this series (that for 1853) contains a reprint of all the pre- vious reports of the Secretary, the will of Smithson, the act of organi- zation, and all the facts necessary to a history of the establishment from its commencement. The report for 1859 contains the usual amount of matter, which has thus far been restricted by the action of Congress to 450 pages. The number of copies printed by order of Congress was 10,000, of which only 4,500 were given to the Institu- tion for distribution; whereas, of the report for 1858, the Institution received 7,000 copies. On account of this reduction in the number of copies, we have been obliged to curtail the list of distribution, and to confine it principally to our meteorological observers and to those who have manifested their interest in the work by making special applica- tion for it. In order to ascertain whether the publications of the Institution are received by the persons to whom they are addressed, a »rinted form of acknowledgment is sent, to be returned with the signaiure, post office, and occupation of the recipient. The receipts, which have been care- fully bound in a series of volumes as vouchers for the faithful discharge 3 = 2 an REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. of this part of the operations of the establishment, furnish some inter- esting statistics as to the occupation, and distribution in the different parts of the country, of the readers of the Smithsonian reports. Meteorology.—An appropriation is annually made by Congress for ‘the collection of agricultural statistics, investigations for promoting agriculture and rural economy,’ &c. Of this, Judge Mason, during his term of office as Commissioner of Patents, devoted a small portion to assist the Smithsonian Institution in collecting and reducing mete- orological observations. He considered this kind of information as one of the essential elements on which to found a system of scientific agriculture adapted to the various local climates of the different parts of our extended country, and in his estimates presented to Congress for an increased appropriation, a certain sum was specified as requisite for this important purpose. In his report for 1856, he properly remarks ‘‘ that the degree of heat, cold, and moisture in various localities, and the usual periods of their occurrence, together with their effects upon dif- ferent agricultural productions, are of incalculable importance in searching into the laws by which the growth of such products is reg- ulated, and will enable the agriculturist to judge with some degree of certainty whether any given article can be profitably cultivated.’’ In accordance with these views, an increased appropriation was made by Congress, which has been continued until the present time. The part of the appropriation originally devoted to meteorology was also con- tinued by the successors of Judge Mason, until last year, when it was suddenly and unexpectedly suspended. The sum thus furnished by the agricultural department of the Patent Office was scarcely more than one third of that appropriated by the Smithsonian Institution. It was, however, of essential service in developing the system and in assisting to defray the heavy expense of blanks and reductions. The general results of all the observations for six years have been presented in a report to Congress, in the joint name of the Smithsonian Institution and the Patent Office, and are now in the hands of the public printer. The information which is contained in this report is such as is almost constantly called for by the public, and forms a part of the data necessary to base the practice of agriculture upon the reliable principles of insurance, as well as to indicate the climate especially adapted to particular productions. The value, however, of such mate- rials depends upon the number of years during which the observations are continued, and I therefore regret that the late Commissioner of REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 35 Patents did not see fit to continue the appropriation which had been made by his predecessors. The system was fully organized and the investigation was considered of too much importance to be abandoned, particularly after so much labor had been bestowed upon it, and there- fore it has since been maintained at the sole expense of the Institution. We are sorry, however, that we were obliged to stop the reductions, but hope they will be resumed again before the observations have accumulated to an unwieldy bulk. The whole system of meteorology is still in a prosperous condition ; the number of observers reporting directly to the Institution is about 500; the number of stations reporting to the Surgeon General’s office of the War Department is 75. The returns of fourteen stations in Canada are also accessible to the Institution. Observations have been made for the year 1860 at 166 light-houses on the Atlantic and Lake coasts, under the direction of the Light-House Board, copies of which are sent through the Institution to the Board of Trade in England. The lake system, established under the direction of Captain Meade, of the Topographical Engineers, is still continued. It consists of eigh- teen stations on lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Kach station is furnished with a full set of standard instruments con- structed on the plan adopted by the Smithsonian Institution. The observations are regularly taken four times a day at equal intervals of three hours, besides occasional series at certain places at every hour of the twenty-four. The latter are of much value in determining the corrections to be applied to the mean derived from observations taken at a few hours in the day. This system in its extent, the precision of its instruments, and the character of its observers, is one of the most perfect which has ever been established, and if continued for a few years, will give the local climate of the district, with an accuracy which has never been attained in any other part of the continent. The observations of Lieutenant Williamson, in California, on the hourly fluctuations of the barometer at the level of the ocean and at points on mountain stations, were continued until the end of the last fiscal year, when they were stopped for the want of further appropria- tions. It is to be hoped the Secretary of War will make provision for renewing these important investigations, since they are not only of great scientific interest, but also of much practical value in correcting the observations for heights by the barometer. Indeed, with the advance of science, a revision of the deductions from all the observa- tions which have been made by the various exploring parties, will be 36 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. required, in view of the greater accuracy attainable by the application of corrections derived from observations of this kind. The Institution has received during the past year a number of valu- able meteorological records from officers of the Hudson’s Bay Company in different parts of the territory. Among these is a series from Fort Simpson, McKenzie’s river, for twelve years, transmitted by B. R. Ross, Esq., chief trader; and another series, for three years, by J. Mc- Kenzie, Esq., from Moose Factory, both of which will be continued hereafter. In this connection we may mention that a number of spirit thermometers for marking the extremes of cold have been distributed, through the agency of Mr. Kennicott, to some of the most distant posts of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The daily telegraphic dispatches of the weather from different parts of the country have been kept up with considerable regularity from the South as far as New Orleans; but we regret that frequent intermissions take place in the receipt of the telegrams from places directly west of the city of Washington, especially as we are more immediately inter- ested in these, since they afford the means of predicting with consider- able certainty the character of the weather sometimes a day or more in advance. Besides the sources we have mentioned from which meteorological records have been obtained, an account of others from which commu- nications on the same subject have been received, is given in the special appendix to the Secretary's report. The amount of climatic materials relative to different parts of the continent of North America which has been collected by the Institution is of great value; but it cannot be rendered fully available for general use without a larger expenditure of money than can be devoted to this object by the Smithsonian income. All the accounts collected by the Institution of the remarkable auroras of August and September, 1859, were placed in the hands of Professor Loomis, and by him discussed and published in the ‘¢ Amer- ican Journal of Science.’’ During the past year, meteorological instruments have been furnished to two expeditions under the direction of the Coast Survey to observe the great solar eclipse of the 18th of July, 1860. One of these was sent to Labrador under the charge of Professor 8. Alexander, of the College of New Jersey, and the other to Washington Territory under Lieutenant Gilliss. The instruments, in both cases, have been returned in good condition. A full set of meteorological instruments and other apparatus has REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. BY been furnished to Dr. I. I. Hayes, who has undertaken a new explora- tion in the Arctic regions for the purpose of gaining additional informa- tion as to the existence of an open sea. It is probable that Dr. Hayes will spend the present winter at some point on the coast of Greenland ; and if he should do so, he has promised to make good use of the instru- ments and to adopt measures by which the records of the observations may be transmitted to Washington. The summer of 1860 was rendered remarkable by the occurrence of a number of tornadoes in different parts of the northern and western portions of the United States. Some of these were of so peculiar a character, and their destructive effects were so extensive, that it was thought a matter of sufficient importance to adopt means for their special investigation. For this purpdse it was deemed advisable to send a competent observer to make an accurate survey of the region passed over by the meteors, and to collect all the facts which might tend in the least degree to throw light upon the character of these terrific visitors. The person chosen for this service was Mr. W. L. Nicholson, of the United States Coast Survey, who undertook the inves- tigation for the sake of science ; his actual expenses alone, exclusive of transportation, being paid, and a free passage having been secured for him by the Institution through the commendable liberality which characterizes the acts of many of our railroad companies. The most violent of these storms was that of June 3, in Jowa and Illinois, which swept over more than 600 miles, destroying three towns and perhaps two hundred persons, besides domestic animals and other property to a large amount. In regard to these remarkable disturbances of the atmosphere, Mr. Nicholson collected a great number of interesting facts, by personal inspection of the effects which still remained, from oral information derived from many eye witnesses, and from actual surveys of the paths of the tornadoes and the relative position of the more prominent objects which remained strewed in their course. These will all be presented in proper form to the Institution as a report of actual facts; and it is proposed by the Secretary to discuss the phenomena in connection with the various theories which have been advanced to explain the origin and progress of storms of this character. Attention was not exclusively confined to meteorological phenomena, but was extended to the physical and other peculiarities of the regions visited ; and Mr. Nicholson en- deavored to diffuse a taste for meteorology among the people, which it is hoped will in the future supply some vacancies in our corps of observers. He warmly expresses his gratification on account of the 38 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. liberality with which he was aided, the general appreciation of the objects of the Institution, and the courtesy every where extended to him personally. It was mentioned in the last report that a commencement had heen made, in connection with the Coast Survey, in the preparation of a hypsometrical map of the United States, and that the elevation of upwards of 9,000 points had been collected. This work has been continued during the past year, and efforts have been made to obtain materials existing in the offices of various railroads and public works, and it has been deemed desirable still further to prosecute the research among the archives at the State capitols. About 4,000 additional elevations have thus been obtained,and considerable progress made in the plotting of the material on the sheets of the hypsometrical map. In furtherance of the same object, a small appropriation in addition to the previous loan of instruments has been made to Prof. Guyot, to assist in a hypsometrical survey of the Apalachian chain of mountains. During the last two or three years, this accomplished geographer has spent a considerable portion of the summer in North Carolina, and has now nearly ready for publication a map of the part of the Apala- chian system in that region. He has extended a net work of triangles over an area of nearly 150 miles in length, and determined within these, by a series of contemporaneous barometric observations, the heights of all the more important peaks. In the report of his labors to the Institution, Professor Guyot makes the following remarks: ‘I only deplore the absence of points the posi- tion of which is determined astronomically or otherwise with sufficient accuracy to enable me to locate my survey on the right spot of the surface of the globe. The existing maps are very deficitnt in every respect.’’ In connection with this subject, I may be permitted to express the hope that Congress will in due time make provision for extending the system of triangulation which has been established with so much labor and precision along the sea-board to the interior of the continent. The necessity of such a work must every year become more and more evi- dent, as the value of land increases and the precise definition of polit- ical boundaries becomes more important. Ethnology.—W hatever relates to the nature of man is interesting to the students of every branch of knowledge; and hence ethnology affords @common ground on which the cae of physical science, of natural history, of archeology, of language, of history and Leeper REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 39 can all harmoniously labor. Consequently, no part of the operations of this Institution has been more generally popular than that which relates to this subject. From the preceding reports, it will be seen that the Institution has endeavored especially to promote that part of the general subject of ethnology which relates to language; and as in this an increasing number of the intelligent public is interested, the publication of the Dakota and Yoruba grammar and dictionary was received with much favor, and more numerous applications have been made for copies of these works than for almost any others which have been issued by the Institution. Indeed, the entire edition of the Dakota grammar and dictionary, except the copies bound up in the volumes of the series of contributions, has been exhausted. The work has not only been con- sidered of value to the students of ethnology, but also to the officers of the government, missionaries, and others who have been called upon to hold intercourse with our western Indians. During the past year several works of the same class have been offered to the Institution for publication. Some of these, however, were not in a condition to be printed without revision and philosophical arrangement; and since the death of the lamented Professor Turner, we have experienced difficulty in finding a person of the peculiar skill and learning required for the undertaking of so responsible and difficult 2 work. We have, however, referred several of the articles presented to us to the American Oriental Society, and have been favored with the advice and assistance of the officers of that association, in enabling us to decide on the disposition of such works; and among these, the Institution is particularly indebted to Prof. W. D. Whitney, of Yale College, for the important service he has rendered us in this line. Several of the grammars and dictionaries which have been presented were approved, and would have been published by the Institution, had not other means been provided for giving them to the public more expeditiously. Among these, area grammar of the Grebo language by Bishop Payne, of Africa, which will be printed by the American Oriental Society ; and also a Creek grammar and dictionary prepared by Mr. Buckner, and about to be published by the Baptist Missionary Board, Much interest has been manifested by the students of ethnology in everything which relates to the Indians of the Pacific coast of North America; and the Institution is accordingly desirous to collect all the reliable information on this subject which it can possibly obtain. In 40 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. this labor it has been much assisted by Alexander 8. Taylor, Hsq., of Monterey, California, through whose instrumentality we have received a collection of original manuscripts, of which the following is a descrip- tion : 1. A vocabulary of the Mutsun Indians of San Juan Bautista, by Padre Felipe Arroyo, consisting of ninety-two folio pages, written in 1815, and sent to the Institution by the Rev. John Cuenelias, of Monterey. 2. A grammar of the same language by Arroyo, also written in 1815, and found at the mission of Santa Yrez, in Santa Barbara county, by the Rev. C. Rubio, principal of the college of that place, by whom it is lent to the Institution. This grammar was cepied from Arroyo’s manuscripts, in a small octavo of seventy-six pages, in a clear beautiful hand, by one of the friars, and is a curiosity of its kind. It had been hidden at theold mission where Father Arroyo died, for over forty years. 3. An extensive vocabulary of the Indians of San Antonio Mission, of about ninety quarto pages, prepared by Padre Buenaventura Sitgar, one of the original founders of California, and Padre Miguel Pieras, between 1771 and 1797. 4. A catechism of the Chalonese language of the mission of Sole- dad, written out by Father Vincente Fio de Sarria about 1819, was also found at San Antonio Mission, and forwarded, with the vocabulary of Sitgar, by Rev. D. Ambris, curate of Monterey. 5. A catechism in the language of the San Antonio Mission, with a Spanish translation written by Friar Pedro Cabot, in 1817. This was copied from a wooden tablet used by the missionaries to instruct the Indians at church, and was presented to the Institution by Mr. Taylor, according to whom, Friar Cabot was one of the best educated Spanish missionaries, and justly celebrated among the people of the country for his piety and excellence of heart. He died about 1836. We are informed by Mr. Taylor that, at his earnest request, one of the learned professors in the college of Santa Clara has undertaken, in behalf of the Institution, to prepare a vocabulary and grammar of the language. of the Flat Head Indians of Oregon, among whom he labored as a missionary for many years. The Mutsun vocabulary has been carefully copied, at the expense of the Institution, by Mr. Cotheal, of New York, and the original re- turned to the reverend gentleman to whom we are indebted for its use. The other articles mentioned, which are not given to the Institution, will also be copied, and the originals returned. In this way, these REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. Al valuable contributions to philology, if not printed, will be preserved and rendered more accessible to the ethnological student. At the suggestion of Mr. Taylor, we have prepared a circular addressed to the Catholic clergymen, missionaries, and institutions of California, Oregon, Washington, Vancouver’s Island, British Colum- bia, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, asking for copies of all Indian vocabularies, grammars, catecbisms, and other philological materials, made or collected by the priests who labored among the aborigines, and which, we are informed, are still to be found in many of the mission stations. In Alta California alone, it is said that there are twenty-one missions, in which are preserved books of baptisms, mar- riages, and deaths of the Indians from 1769 to 1846. Mr. George Gibbs, formerly of New York, during a residence of twelve years on the Pacific coast, has devoted much time to collecting materials for the illustration of the ethnology of the country. He has obtained over fifty vocabularies of the various languages and dialects spoken along the coast from Behring’s straits to San Francisco, and further south; many of which are accompanied by special | memoirs by intelligent gentlemen residing among particular tribes or families, and who are well acquainted with their respective idioms. Mr. Gibbs is at present engaged in arranging his materials with a view to present them to this Institution. By the collection and pub- lication of all the materials of this class which can be obtained, addi- tions may be made of importance to the ethnologist, in solving many questions as to the general philosophy of language, and the connection of the different families of American Indians with each other and with different races of mankind. A considerable number of answers have been received to the circular addressed by the Institution to the foreign agents of the government, missionaries, and other persons in all parts of the world, relative to the investigation as to the system of relationship adopted by different tribes, nations, and races of mankind, mentioned in the last report, as undertaken by Mr. Morgan. These letters have been sent to Mr. Morgan, who has, in turn, acknowledged his indebtedness to the Insti- tution for the valuable aid rendered him in the prosecution of his research. Some years ago a memoir was submitted to the Institution, on the physical peculiarities of the European man in America, by a gentle- man of Cincinnati, which was found to contain a large amount of interesting matter, but scarcely sufficient data to warrant a safe induction as to the subject of investigation. A similar inquiry has been insti- 42 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. tuted by members of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and in codperation with these, a circular has been issued by the Insti- tution, asking for statistics relative to the place of birth, country of parentage, profession or occupation, age, height, and weight of native- born American citizens. To this circular about one hundred answers have been returned from our meteorological correspondents, the whole series furnishing the facts relative to about two thousand individuals. It is intended to present the statistics thus obtained to the author of the memoir above mentioned, as well as to the Academy of Sciences. It will, however, be evident, on reflection, that the value of such sta- tistics must depend on the number of cases which they include, and the length of time through which they arecontinued; since it is highly probable that the changes produced by climate and other conditions of existence, become marked only after a succession of generations have been exposed to the modifying influences. The Institution continues to receive from time to time, information respecting the existence of mvunds and other remains of the original inhabitants of this continent not previously described, and since the proposition has been entertained of preparing a map to illustrate the relative distribution of these remains, all information of this kind will be very acceptable. A paper has been some time in possession of the Institution, on the mining operations of the ancient inhabitants of the region around Lake Superior, but it is not yet in a sufficiently elaborate condition to be presented to the public through the Smithsonian Contributions. We hope, however, that in the course of the year we shall be able to have it revised and prepared for the press. It may be proper also to men- tion, in this connection, that a large number of crania of different tribes of Indians, as well as of different races of men, has been collected together at the Institution, the study of which would probably furnish some new facts of interest to the ethnologist. Magnetic Observatory.—lt was stated in the last report that, as the changes in the direction and intensity of the magnetic force at Toronto were found to be almost precisely the same as at Philadelphia and Washington, it had therefore been concluded that more important service could be rendered science by making the observations at a greater distance from Toronto than the grounds of the Smithsonian Institution. In accordance with this conclusion, the instruments of the observatory, jointly supported by the Smithsonian Institution and the Coast Survey, have been sent to Key West, where the United States government has a fortification, and the Coast Survey maintains REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 43 a tidal station. Key West is situated in latitude 24° 33’ north, lon- gitude 81° 41’ west, and is a low coral island, rising at no point more than ten or twelve feet above the sea. The mean temperature of the spring is 75°, of summer 82°, of autumn 78°, and winter 69°. The daily variation of temperature is therefore very small, and on this account as well as from its position, the island is well adapted to mag- netic observations, The observatory is situated en the grounds of the government, a few hundred yards from Fort Taylor, and near the water. A large shed belonging to the fort was made use of, by permission of the engineer department, as an outer protection for an inner building containing the instruments. The inner rooms were properly inclosed in a sub- stantial manner, leaving a clear space between their walls and those of the outer building for the free circulation of air. The piers sup- porting the instruments rest upon the solid rock of the island, and are therefore subject to no other changes than those which result from the slight annual variation of temperature. A small building to the north of the observatory was erected for the instruments employed to determ- ine the absolute values of the magnetic elements, to be used in con- nection with the continuous photographic records of the variations. The instruments were mounted at Key West in January and Febru- ary, 1860, by Prof. W. P. Trowbridge, assistant in the United States Coast Survey, and a series of observations commenced by this gentle- man, assisted by Mr. Samuel Walker, in March, have been continued to the present time, under the charge of Mr. George D. Allen, who is now retained as permanent observer. The expense of the observations is sustained jointly by the Smithsonian Institution and the Coast Survey. In the appendix to the last report will be found a minute description of the self-recording instruments here referred to, and of the method of using them, prepared by Mr. J. E. Hilgard; and in the appendix to the present report it is proposed to insert a communication trom Gen. Sabine to the Royal Society of London, giving a brief exposition of the laws of the phenomena of the larger magnetic disturbances, as far as they have been ascertained, and of the interesting contributions to science which such observations as are now made at Key West may be the means of affording. Laboratory.—During the last year the laboratory has remained under the direction of Dr. B. F. Craig, of this city, and, as in former years, many minerals from different parts of the country, submitted to the Institution for examination, have been reported upon. It 44 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. may be proper here to repeat the statement which has previously been made as to the policy adopted in regard to examinations of this kind, namely: to furnish an account of the character of the mineral free of cost to the parties asking the information, provided it is of general interest, or immediately connected with the advance of science, and can be afforded at little expense to the Institution. If, however, the information required is for private interests, a charge is made sufficient to cover the expense of the investigation. By the adoption of this policy, the laboratory has been kept in operation by means of a small annual appropriation for chemicals and apparatus. Collections of Natural History, &c.—The Smithsonian Institution, during the twelve years of its active existence, has expended a large amount of labor and money in collecting and preserving specimens of geology, natural history, and ethnology, and has also received the entire charge of all the specimens collected by the various expeditions of the general Government. The scientific material thus collected is very valuable, and, in number and variety of specimens and duplicates to illustrate the natural productions of the North American continent, far excels any other collection ever made. It is not the policy of the Institution to hoard up specimens for the exclusive study of those immediately connected with the establishment, or to consider the duplicates merely as articles of commercial value, only to be ex- changed for marketable equivalents, but to render them available as widely as possible for the advance of knowledge. In accordance with this policy, arrangements have been commenced for a more general distribution of the type and duplicates, and for the description of new species, than has heretofore been practicable. The specimens may be divided into two classes: first, those which have been described in the reports of the Government expeditions, or in the transactions of the Smithsonian and other institutions; and second, those which have not yet been described, and which conse- quently are considered of much value to the naturalists who desire to gratify the laudable ambition of connecting their names with original accounts of new species, or who are engaged in preparing monographs of particular families. Of both classes the Institution possesses an immense number of duplicates, in the disposition of which, some gen- eral principles should be kept constantly in view. After due consulta- tion and deliberation the following rules for the first class, and con- siderations for the second, are proposed. First. To advance original science, the duplicate type specimens REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 45 should be distributed as widely as possible to scientific institutions in this country and abroad, in order that they may be used in identifying the species and genera which have been described. Second. To promote education, as full sets as possible of general duplicates, properly labeled, should be presented to colleges and other institutions of learning that profess to teach the principal branches of natural history. Third. It should be distinctly understood that due credit 1s to be given to the Institution in the labeling of the specimens, and in all accounts which may be published of them, since such credit is not only due to the name of Smithson, but also to the directors of the establish- ment as vouchers to the world that they are faithfully carrying out the intention of the bequest. Fourth. It may be proper in the distribution to institutions abroad, as a general rule, to require, in case type specimens to illustrate _ species which have been described by foreign authors may be wanted for comparison or other uses in this country, that they be furnished at any time they may be required. Fifth. In return for specimens which may be presented to colleges und other educational establishments, collections from localities in their vicinity, which may be desirable, shall be furnished when re- quired. The disposition of the undescribed specimens in the collection of the Institution is a matter which requires special consideration, and involves in every case of application for the use of them the necessity of deliberation to guard against the falling of the specimens into improper hands, and prevent as far as possible the charge of favoritism. It is not SOMME that in some cases, hasty and imperfect descrip- tions have been published of specimens belonging to the Institution, through the desire of the author to connect his name with a new species, rather than from an honest endeavor to advance knowledge. It would, however, have been difficult to refuse any person the privilege of examining new species, who professed to be actuated alone by the desire of having an opportunity of laboring in a particular field of investigation ; but it is clear that special encouragement and preference should be given to those who undertake the more difficult and laborious task of forming complete monographs. It is not in accordance with the policy of the Institution to subject a person who is engaged in a special line of research, to the expense of residing in Washington during the period perhaps of many months required for the investigation, but, when necessary, he is allowed to 46 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. take the materials to his home to study them at his leisure, provided the Institution is satisfied as to his competency, his integrity, and ‘industry. But in granting this privilege, some restriction should be put upon the time the specimens may be retained by the investigator, and also upon the number he may have at once in his possession. He should also give assurance that he will prepare a set of type specimens properly labeled for preservation in the Smithsonian museum, and that all the duplicates, if required, shall be returned to the general collection. The proper distribution of the duplicate specimens is a work of great labor and expense. It does not consist merely in assorting and packing them for transportation, but also in properly numbering and labeling them for immediate use. Without these preliminaries, the specimens themselves would be of comparatively little value. For example, we may send to an educational establishment a series of specimens, many of which are to be found in its immediate vicinity, and yet be of great value on account of having attached to them the scientific names by which they are known to men of science in every part of the civilized world, and without which all that may be stated in regard to them in books would have no interest for want of certainty as to the identity of the objects described. To illustrate the details of the system of distribution, I may mention the plan adopted in regard to the shells and minerals. Of these, a complete series, consisting of a full representation of each species, 1s in the process of being accurately labeled, and when this work is com- pleted, the whole collection of duplicates will be assorted in boxes or bins, each apartment containing those belonging to the same species. Hach shell or mineral in the same box will then be marked with the same number, corresponding with a number on a list of printed labels, two copies of which will be sent to each recipient of a collection ; one to be preserved for reference and the other to be cut up into labels to be attached to the specimens. After this preparation and arrangement, individual series are made up by taking a single specimen from each box. This operation demands a critical knowledge of each particular class of specimens, and consequently requires the codperation of a number of experienced naturalists, each an acknowledged authority in his special department. ; From the foregoing account it must be clear that the labor and time reyuired even to prepare a few sets of specimens for distribution, is much greater than at first sight might be imagined; and since the number of suites of specimens in the Smithsonian collection amounts in some cases to several hundred, it is evident that the expense must REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. AT exceed the unaided means of the Institution, unless the time of com- pleting the distribution be extended over a number of years. In accordance with the plan described, a commencement has been made in the work, preparatory to the general distribution. The assort- ment and labeling of an entire set of shells has been principally intrusted to Mr. Philip Carpenter, of Warrington, England, one of the first conchologists of the day, who has prepared a report on the shells of the northwest coast of the United States for the British Asso- ciation. In this work Mr. Carpenter has been assisted by the gratui- tous labor of Mr. Isaac Lea, Dr. A. A. Gould, Dr. E. Foreman, Mr. W.G. Binney, Dr. W. Stimpson, and Mr. Temple Prime. The botanical collection has been placed in the hands of Dr. John Torrey, of New York, who has generously offered, with the cooperation of Dr.Gray, of Harvard University, to superintend the labeling of a com- plete set of specimens to be preserved in the museum of this Institution, of several sets of original type series, to be presented to some of the principal museums of this country and of Europe, and the preparation of the remainder for distribution to colleges and academies. The arrangement of the specimens of the other branches of natural history has been commenced and laboriously prosecuted under the direction of Professor Baird, who has been assisted especially by Dr. H. Bryant, Mr. Theodore Gill, and a number of amateur naturalists. In accordance with the policy of rendering the collections of new material immediately available for the advance of science, a number of series of specimens of different genera and species have been intrusted for study and description to different gentlemen interested in special branches of natural history. The service which has been rendered the cause of natural history by this liberal course is far greater than might at first sight appear. It may be safely asserted that scarcely any extended investigation in the line of natural history has been prosecuted in this country during the last ten years without having its material in greater or less part furnished by the Institution. Ezplorations.—During the past year the collections have been increased by a number of expeditions under the direction of the different departments of the general government, and by explorations in part at the expense and under the direction of the Institution. Of these a detailed history is given in the report of Professor Baird here- with presented, and it is only necessary for me in this connection to mention some of the latter sources of the increase of specimens. 48 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. Mr. Robert Kennicott, the enterprising young naturalist mentioned in the last report, has continued his explorations in the Hudson's Bay territory and Russian America, and his labors have, as in previous years, received the cordial codperation of all the officers and agents of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Not only has he been permitted to visit and reside at the different posts, but he has received free transportation of himself and collections. Mr. Kennicott will further extend his explorations into Russian America, and will probably remain absent until the autumn of 1863. Mr. John Xantus, whose name has also been mentioned in some of the previous reports, has industriously occupied his time not devoted to tidal observations for the Coast Survey at Cape St. Lucas, in Lower California, in completing the collections of the natural history of that region. The specimens he has obtained on the western coast. are greater in number and variety, according to Professor Baird, than those ever collected in that region by any single individual. Mr. C. Drexler, under the special direction of the Institution, during the last year made an exploration in the region of James’ Bay, and in this case also the Hudson’s Bay Company liberally seconded the objects of the Institution. He was enabled to collect a large number of valu- able specimens through the facilities afforded him, and these were sent from Moose factory to London, at the expense of the company ; and thence to this country by the Cunard steamers, free of charge ; acts of liberality which deserve to be specially noticed, not only as examples of gratifying appreciation of science, but also of the efforts of the Insti- tution to enlarge its boundaries. Museum.—What has been said under the head of collections may serve to illustrate the service which the Institution might have rendered to natural history without having established a public museum, and incurred the expense of the erection of a large building and the con- tinued cost of supporting its necessary establishment of numerous employés. The act of Congress, however, authorized the erection of a building for the reception of objects of natural history, under the idea, then prevalent, that such a provision was absolutely necessary for car- rying out the will of the testator; but it must be clear to every one who critically examines the subject that, unless restricted, the expense of making provision for a general museum alone would absorb all the funds, and thus confine to a single object, and that principally local in its effects, the bequest intended for the increase and diffusion of knowl- edge generally among men. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 49 If the duplicates now in possession of the Institution were to be distributed on the plan of demanding an equivalent of specimens in exchange, the returns would fill far more than the unoccupied space now in the Smithsonian building, and an additional edifice would be required, the cost of which would either diminish the original fund or absorb for years to come the accruing interest. It is evident, therefore, that unless the museum be restricted within definite limits, the active operations which have given so much reputation to the Institution, and made the name of Smithson as familiar as a household word in every part of the world, must ultimately cease. It has, therefore, been con- cluded to confine the special collections of the Institution to type speci- mens, illustrating the natural history of the American continent. Even the cost of the preservation of these will be more than can well be afforded from the income of the original bequest. Indeed the Insti- tution could do much more service to the cause of natural history, were Congress to accept as a gift the Smithsonian building and all its speci- mens for the purpose of establishing a separate museum, and suffer the Smithsonian income, thus freed from the expense of supporting so costly an establishment, to be entirely devoted to the active operations of the programme of organization. It is not intended by the foregoing to decline accepting foreign specimens in cases in which they may be required for special investi- gation and comparison; on the contrary, it is a part of the policy of the Institution to furnish, as far as possible, to original investigators aid of this kind. For an account of the labors connected with the collections and the museum, in detail, I must refer to the communication, herewith ap- pended, of Professor Baird. Exchanges.—The system of exchange still continnes to perform an important part in the literary and scientific intercourse between this country and other parts of the world. During the year 1860 it has increased more rapidly than in any other period of the same length, and is now the principal medium of literary and scientific communica- tion between the American continent and foreign countries. It is not confined on this side of the Atlantic to the United States, but extends to Canada, the West Indies, and South America. As a natural consequence of the extension of this part of the. opera- tions, the cost of carrying it on has correspondingly increased, and it will be impossible with the limited income of the Smithsonian fund to enlarge the system, or even to continue it in its present dimensions, 4 50 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. without a pro rata assessment of at least a portion of the expenses on the different parties who avail themselves of its facilities. The expense of the system of exchange would, however, be far greater were it not for the many favors we receive from transportation companies, either in a great reduction of charges or their entire omission. or conspicuous examples of this liberality, the Institution may refer to the Cunard steamers between New York and Liverpool, to the North German Lloyd between New York and Bremen, the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, Panama Railroad Company, North Atlantic Steamship Com- pany, the Adams Express Company, the steamship Isabel line between Charleston and Havana, and Russell’s army transportation lines, and also to the Hudson’s Bay Company. The whole number of large packages containing books, specimens, and other articles received at the Institution from different parts of the world during 1860, was 1,000; the number of packages of the same character sent off was 888. When it is recollected that each of these packages contained a large number of articles, all of which were to be distributed, while those intended for this Institution were to be cata- logued and acknowledged, some idea may be formed of the labor required to carry on this single branch of the general operations of the establishment. For a detailed statement ot the particulars relative to this branch of the general operations, I must also refer to the report of Professor Baird. Library.—Since the presentation of the last report, the plan adopted in regard to the increase of the library has been steadily pursued, namely: to obtain as perfect a series as possible of the transactions and proceedings of all the learned societies which now exist or have existed in different parts of the world. The distribution of the cata- logue of the works of this kind already in the library, which was men- tioned in the last report, with the request that our deficiencies might be supplied, has called forth the presentation of a large number of scarce volumes, intended to complete the sets, as well as to increase the number of our series. During the last year the Institution has received from abroad, for its own library, by way of donation and exchange, upwards of 5,000 presentations, consisting principally of volumes and parts of volumes, The distribution of the same catalogue through this country has served to render more generally known the works contained in the library of the Institution, and has consequently increased its use. The value of this library will, however, be greatly enhanced by the REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. sl publication of the classified index of all papers contained in the trans- actions of learned societies and in scientific serials, now in process of preparation at the expense and under the direction of the Royal Society of London. The following extract from a letter lately received from General Sabine gives an account of the character and present condition of this work: ‘‘Our plan comprehends natural history as well as what are usually called the exact sciences. Itis intended to form three distinct cata- logues: first, a catalogue of all the serials included in the publication, with the contents of each in chronological order ; second, a catalogue of all the separate memoirs in all the serials, alphabetically arranged according to the authors’ names; third, a classified catalogue of the separate memoirs. The two last named catalogues to contain, in addition to serials, distinct scientific memoirs in the appendices to voyages, travels, &c. We have written in quadruplicate the titles of above 80,000 detached memoirs, all from works (serials) in our own library. We have still in the library more serials, which will give us ' about 80,000 more titles, which we expect will be the work of the next fifteen or sixteen months. In the mean time we are seeking out for, and adding to, our library, works of the same nature which we do not possess. In this we think you could greatly assist us by lists of Amer- ican publications—serials of course.’’ The Institution should contribute in every way in its power to this important work, and should endeavor, when it is printed, to make arrangements by which copies may be obtained at a small expense for the principal libraries of the country. In the way of contributions of some importance to this great enterprise, we hope to be able, in a short time, to furnish the bibliography of North American mammals, birds, several orders of insects, shells, and plants; and to complete, at no distant period, the whole series relative to the natural history of this continent. The first volume of the catalogue of zodlogical literature from 1750 to the present day, by J. Victor Carus, of Leipzic, mentioned in the last report, has been published; and we would commend it to the patronage of naturalists as the best compilation which has yet appeared of the titles systematically arranged of isolated papers on zodlogy pub- lished in American as well as foreign journals. Among the special donations since the date of the last report, are 151 volumes from the Royal Library at Munich, and 193 from the University at Olmutz; 60 from the British Museum, 30 from the Royal Society of Amsterdam, 25 from the Royal Society of Upsala, 28 from the University of Utrecht, and 36 from the Royal Observatory _at Vienna. 52 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. The donation from the Royal Library of Munich, mentioned above, is a part of a large invoice of rare and valuable works, including many incunabula, for presentation to different specified libraries in the United States, after this Institution should have made its selec- tion. The purchases have been chiefly in the way of completing such series of transactions as could not be obtained by exchange, and of works necessary to the investigations connected with the Institution, such as those on natural history, meteorology, &c. About one third of the expenditure under the head of ‘‘cost of books,’’ given in the report of the executive committee, is for bind- ing—an item of expense which is every year increasing with the num- ber of serials received through our exchanges ; the current volumes of this kind being usually distributed in paper covers. Since the date of the last report, all the scientific pamphlets have been classified according to subjects, and placed in the hands of the binder. The policy adopted in regard to the library, as we have said, is that of rendering it a special collection, as complete as possible in transac- tions, proceedings of learned societies, and other scientific serials; and since the space which can be devoted—without further extension of the buildin g—to the increase of this and other collections is limited, it has been thought proper to present to the American Antiquarian Society a large accumulation of newspapers in exchange for works more imme- diately in accordance with the design of the Institution, and with one of the fundamental propositions of the programme of organization, viz: that of doing nothing with its funds which can be done equally well or better by other means. While the care of these ephemeral publica- tions would be troublesome and expensive to the Smithsonian Institu- tion, it forms a legitimate part of the duty of the Antiquarian Society, which has a considerable fund expressly devoted to the purpose. This disposition of the papers, many of which have been presented to the Institution, is not made on account of a want of proper appreciation of their value; on the contrary, we fully agree with the opinion ex- pressed by Mr. Haven, the learned librarian of the Antiquarian So- ciety, ‘‘that even partial series, when properly arranged, constitute a geographical and historical chart of public sentiment, and of social and political facts, in which sectional and denominational diversities, of whatever kind, are brought under a single view for examination and comparison.’’ They have been presented to the Antiquarian Society that they may better subserve this object, and in the spirit of codpera- tion which characterizes the policy of the Institution. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 53 Gallery of Art.—The large and valuable collection of paintings of Indian portraits and scenes of Indian life belonging to Mr. Stanley, and those of the Government, have continued to form an object of attraction and interest to the numerous visitors of the Institution. The large room in which these pictures are displayed has been furnished with cases to contain the specimens of Indian costume, implements of war, and other articles to illustrate Indian manners and customs, which the Institution has received as presents from different parties. No application of late has been made to Congress for an appropria- tion to purchase the valuable collection of Indian portraits belonging to Mr. Stanley, although it is hoped that in a more favorable condition of the Treasury an appropriation for this purpose will be granted. At the last session of the board a letter from Professor Secchi, of Rome, was read, stating that he had obtained permission for the Insti- tution to procure casts or moulds of celebrated statues in the Vatican, but it was concluded that all operations in this line should be deferred until the completion of the large and elegant building now in process of construction by Mr. W. W. Corcoran, of this city, to be devoted by him to the exhibition of works of art. In accordance with the policy adopted by the Institution, it has been proposed to cooperate with Mr, Corcoran in his liberal and generous enterprise, and to lend the influ- ence of the Institution in procuring specimens of art for his gallery. A considerable number of valuable engravings have been added to the collection by donations from the King of Saxony, and a series of those previously in the possession of the Institution, have been framed and hung up in different parts of the building. The plaster figures received by the Institution from the Patent Office have been cleaned and repaired, and are now exhibited in the connecting range of the west wing. The Secretary of the Interior has sent to the Institution the large stone sarcophagus brought from Syria by Commodore Elliott. It is an interesting relic of Roman sculpture, and has been placed in the south entrance hall of the building. It is proper also to mention that the relatives of the late Professor Espy have presented a half length portrait of him, which is at present placed in the library. Lectures.—In accordance with the programme of the Institution, the following courses of lectures have been given to the citizens and visitors of Washington, during the winter of 1860-61, namely : Five lectures by Professor Farrman Rogers, of the University of Pennsylvania, on Civil Engineering, Roads and Bridges, and the principles involved in their construction, 54 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. One lecture, by Professor P. A. Cuapgourne, of Williams College, on Iceland. Five lectures by Dr. F. A. P. Barnarp, President of the University of Mississippi, on polarized lght. 1. Outline of optical discovery ; characteristics of polarized light. 2. Undulatory theory of light; physical doctrine of polarization. 3. Chromatics of polarized hght. 4, Physical theory of double refraction, and of polarization by double refraction. 5. Circular, elliptical, and rotary polarization. Two lectures by Professor SrepHEN ALEXANDER, of the College of New Jersey, on solar eclipses and their attendant phenomena, with a par- ticular account of the total eclipse of last July, and the observations made in connection with it by the Government expeditions to Labrador, the Pacific coast, and elsewhere. Three lectures by S. Wetts Wittams, on China and Japan. 1. The literature and government of China. 2. The civilization of the Chinese. 3. Rank of the Japanese among Asiatic nations. Five lectures by Rev. Joun Lorn, of Connecticut, on the great representatives of modern civilization, &c. 1. Michael Angelo and art. . Bacon and philosophy. . Cromwell and liberty. . Madame De Stael and literature. . Columbus and discovery. ipesite the foregoing, a series of experimental lectures on physical science has been given by the Secretary of the Institution to the teachers of the District, and others interested in the subject. In these articles of apparatus presented by Dr. Hare, and those purchased for the use of the Institution, were used. During the present lecture season, owing perhaps, in part, to unfavorable weather and the dis- tracted condition of the public mind, the attendance has been less numerous than in former years. The plan suggested in the last report, of closing the doors after the lecture had commenced, has been adopted and found conducive of good order and more prompt attendance. Respectfully submitted, ot oO bt JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. Fresruary, 1861. APPENDIX TO THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Washington, December 31, 1860. Sir: I have the honor herewith to present a report for 1860 of the operations you have intrusted to my charge, namely: those which relate to the printing, the exchanges, and to the collections of natural history. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, SPENCER F. BAIRD, Assistant Secretary Smithsonian Institution. Prof. JosepH Hunry, L.L. D., Secretary Smithsonian Institution. PRINTING. The publications of the Institution printed during the year 1860 consisted of 614 quarto and 644 octavo pages, illustrated by seven plates and sixty-six wood cuts. EXCHANGES AND TRANSPORTATION. During the year 1860 there has been a very great extension of all operations connected with the department of exchanges. The receipts by the Smithsonian Institution have been much enlarged over those of any previous year, and an increased use has been made by other parties of its facilities both for the transmission and return of pack- ages. The following tables will be found to exhibit the statistics of this branch of operations of the Smithsonian Institution, showing how im- portant a part it plays in aiding the scientific and literary intercourse of different parts of the globe. | The expense of the system of exchanges, however, has been correspond- ingly increased, and would have been greater than the Smithsonian in- come could defray without the many favors from transportation com- panies, in the way of material reduction or entire remission of charges 56 REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. for freights. The benefits.resulting from such liberality have of course been experienced by all departments of operations, but chiefly in that of exchanges and of the collections. The parties to which the Institu- tion is chiefly indebted are as follows: The North German Lloyd, a line of steamships between New York and Bremen, of which Messrs. Gelpcke, Kentgen, and Reichelt, of New York, are agents. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company, be- tween San Francisco and various ports of Oregon and Washington, to the north, and Panama to the south; of which Mr. W. O. Davidge was president for a time—succeeded by Mr. Allen McLane. Also, the Panama Railroad Company, Mr. David Hoadley, President. The steamer connection with California was, at the date of the last report, formed by the North Atlantic Steamship Company, Mr. I. W. Ray- mond, President; and the Institution had the privilege of transmitting its exchanges both ways free of charge. Since the new arrangements, by which the vessels of Commodore Vanderbilt replace those of the last mentioned company, this privilege has been somewhat interrupted ; the agent of Commodore Vanderbilt declining to continue it between New York and Aspinwall. I am, however, happy to report that no serious interruption beyond a little delay has resulted, as Mr. Hoadley has authorized the free transmission of Smithsonian parcels by the brig line of the Panama railroad between New York and Aspinwall. To Mr. A. B. Forbes, agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, in San Francisco, aided by Mr. Samuel Hubbard, the Institution is under many obligations, in acting as general agents for it in Cali- fornia. The great facilities authorized by the Adams Express Company, through Superintendent 8S. M. Shoemaker, and at present exercised by the Washington agent, Mr. McLaughlin, mentioned in the last report, have been continued the past year, greatly to the interest of the Insti- tution. .The Cunard steamers, between New York and Liverpool, have car- ried many packages free of charge during the year. In addition to the parties first mentioned, assistance has been ren- dered, as heretofore, to the exchanges and explorations conducted by the Institution, by the steamer Isabel, running between Charleston and Havana; by Mr. W. H. Russell, army contractor of transporta- tion, and by other parties. : The services of the parties named above have all been gratefully mentioned in preceding reports. ‘T'o the directors and officers generally of the honorable Hudson’s Bay Company, through the late Sir George Simpson, governor in this country, the Smithsonian Institution has to acknowledge its special indebtedness. In addition to the aid afforded to the various enterprises of Hudson’s Bay explorations on the part of the Institution, referred to elsewhere, it has carried a very large amount of freight in its canoes, free of charge, consisting of supplies to various points, and returns of meteorological records and specimens of natural history. Without such assistance the expense of conducting scientific explorations in the far north would be so great as entirely to preclude the possibility of any such enterprises on the part of the Institution. REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 57 The entire number of packages received at the Institution during 1860, by express, railroad, and steamboat, amounted to exactly 1,000; while 888 were transmitted in the same time; making an aggregate of 1,888. This number, of course, has no reference to the sub-pack- ages or smaller parcels inclosed in larger ones, or in the boxes of exchanges received from the agents of the Institution abroad. The receipts of the same kind in 1859 were 804; the transmissions 845; an aggregate of 1,649, showing an increase of 239, or about one seventh. 1 Receipt of books, dc., by exchange in 1860. Volumes: OV CHAMON a. Asta tee ete Jog cel Seiaes daika esis tonresnce see nealingls 781 ICES 2 0, Se eA (0 Sore | NOD OMe Romer Sema cea 419 MATOS Lg ap Me RRS 2 Po oi deat ein aisle vets eres ane are aetclowisl a ja eal Parts of volumes and pamphlets : COVSs fs (0 taut es ek SUR | ee a 2,716 REPT (0) a ests aR OUR re eS yA Bihan hecaty sscpetichtiand ree sn wnde eee ch’ vawutoriatea se eoaatees 93 4,180 MPI ore TUG CIE LG cyst aiclomiadeiscpags ac aeoa set oacie ncaade ss siie/en vl cele waceinsleto atc 220 UNG tele Ger ok eee ieee e NN els era are sca tue tescoe 5,671 Showing the very great increase over the aggregate (3,602) of last year, of 2,069 volumes and parts of volumes, or nearly as great an amount as the receipts of 1858 and 1859 combined. The number of separate donations was 1,635, to 1,252 of last year. As a matter of some interest I take the liberty of recapitulating the receipts by exchange in the ten years, during which the system has been in active operation : Mr eran oisiaic itp sobieitiliasices ees 878 volumes and parts of volumes. Pee epee coerce. (0 ols nena habe ves 609 do. CLS ee se eRe ae 2,556 do Ry ahyrcte isis siagyee Se nares deeeS ES 2,828 do eee Secs 2 || State University Geological Rooms...... Recolor, Vives (Cll) S| cagscbancnbococoooneroce tbe: Cave Spring, Ga. Concord, N. H. Institution for Deaf and Dumb............ 1 New Hampshire Historical Society...... Charleston, S.C. Cannellton, Ind. OClehvaletraiysswedosse:sscrsscccsecemerncess 3 Wrap bachimancenetesdeesoescosdeseccuesecstseess iy lone Ballard Smithiiecssesccrec-soeteceeceere Dre MinGeddineSeencsccdsseredecesessseles ss I Prof. Erancis)S ElGlMesiccncceorcsncoconees 1 Davenport, Iowa. Prop JobmebesEvolbroolts:cacse.occceeeweoes 1 [Dye (ie IB leo) e10) | NicrsoeboqsousncodaconpSopuebadee On| preter. lebenny OVW ee c ccs cease daceans Revie iWomasnsmiythicsccseccactseccdsces sean Aa | |p David’ Sheldont sc... ccscwosscecaceconccecersess Elliott Society of Natural History.......) 16 Des Moines, Iowa. Chapel Hill, N. C. SHAMS) CLE OMG ccoooanee cocaeconnuodonnaosaccocc: University of North Carolina............. 1 Detroit, Mich. Charlottesville, Va. Michigan State Agricultural Society..... University of Virginiai...........sccsscecerss 4 || Penin.and Independent Medical Journal. dig Cis TBIONINE Sy conc so cocsoncnacocnoboecooeaon0OKe Chicago, Ill. Dorchester, Mass. DilinoisjUmiversity:. blackettes-casscsseesdacwsecenccecal New York, N. Y. e American Geographical and Statistical SOCIELY:..6.sccakensnenes cases pee deetacwcasesceisess New York Lyceum of Natural History. American Ethnological Society...........- American Bible Society........ss.scssseeees PBMETICAM LNSUPULC cue cascestersceciccorses MEMS WATIES UAL NOY: ss15.cecescatovenecessciéess Charles Loosey (Consul Gen’!, Austria) plete les Pitti se ps0, 5," .czcedccanedodverdeve> John Lothrop Motley ........:.ssssscceeeeees A AMMENON WACO sc iiiocaicseasededvosesssovdeoyes ¢ ee aR ois jets cals veat sin ehskarcewedno dee Dr. John Torre Mr. Tuckerman OPP ee eee ee eee eee e eer rere ery Number of packages wo CS Ot kr 0D Oe eS DL wo WR ew 3 i Te ee ee DR HH OH ODO | Chester Morris Number of packages. Oxford, Penn. Divs Ei Pfeifer... isjowasctoacnsssaccateceseee sass Philadelphia, Penn. Academy of Natural Sciences............. American Philosophical Society Central Eioh) School) ......<.0+ssssescecooee Historical Society of Pennsylvania....... Philadelphia Library Company............ ate eeerees AVM, sre ERIE Yrataesscwawels sovaeeecsessatehone Usalae eiPam. secon a tactwcc care coeraseo don hidccneds Dravohnelizeconterecperssecsecscacocccse: Dry JONG PMU Iseid ye nase nnceaesasnareancetaeses Branikkdingln stitutes occcsscsccocenoeseareee cee: GeolosieallS octetiymc.csccceessesoeseeeusseces GeolopicaliSunveyoceccess-c--2 220 -sner acre: Woganian! Wibranyiemcedeseecesrettees-sereses North American Medical and Surgical PORVAE Wes eo oeieweancoseeseene sildineasteeonnaes Waener Free Institute...........0.0ss.eesaces HS Aver Gonna dierecateicetsaetacecsaneccoascere meee WMoninsBlod Getysi.ssesecnssseerecteadseeosentose Pr ofr Hc AAGrenthccosccsensersaceceeenten 8.8. Haldeman J. P. Lesley FPP e ee were reer eres eeeeeeneeeees ROR ee ewe e eee eee wesanseeuseeeeeses SOR eee eee teen eseeeeeeeeeerese re EL. SOD ANNE «scceceesuecessrtesssecesets eceee Profs WiarMerscs..0c..seasasuscovsccessssoteess Portland, Me. Neal Dow, Mayor of Portland Porto Cabello, Venezuela. Franklin Litchfield, late United States GOETH enccoaanaatce cundcoece SooeccoosandoncCe Princeton, N: J. College of New Jersey ...........scorscoseeee Providence, R. I. Quebec, Canada. Legislative Library of Canada.........+++ Richmond, Va. Historical Society of Virginia.......06.+++ Virginia State Library........cersseseseeeees Rochester, N. Y. University Library.......... seeeeesenenaeeenes —_ —_ RW Re eS eS DOH DO HB PWOO KR WD ee mo 64 REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. D—Continued. = wn S z 5 & oe 5m oie ——- — Rock Island, Ill. Bra aN Vial Sli. issosessensonosensckecmiveemecces Rio Janeiro, Brazil. Inst. Hist. Geogr. of Brazil..........00000. lerrelvied ere esnmcmasneseneecersecicessse scenes Roxbury, Mass. Dre Reinhioldpsolterrescscsncesecrotecserseeses Salem, Mass. Essex Institute IPROIE, BL IDs IBmeRrall le gapacteonccnsosnticeecasocd PPeeeTOeECOT ere eee) Santiago, Chili. Institute de Santiago ObservatOry.......sceecreeeeicecceserccevoresvecs UNIVETSILY........0c0sccccescseccrrrecccoscesrecs Prof. Ignacio Dome yK0..........-seeseeeeees Dr. Landhecth Pr orelao DCC ercceecoccssaccesesceseumensecenss ro temiap Arie OUlIp Dlsccecevsesascnecseesseeests A eee ee eeneeee eset eeeenees PeeeeOeUEe SSCS eO CeCe Savannah, Ga. Georgia Historical Society..........sssee00 St. Paul, Minn. Historical Society of St. Paul.............. San Francisco, Cal. California Academy of Natural Sciences. Dr. W. O. Ayres St. Louis, Mo. St. Louis Academy of Sciences........... Dr. George Engelmann........0c.cseesesese Dr. Wizlicenus Pere sence eer eeeeesseeeesseaens Geological Survey of Missouri, (Co- hice) Oy is IW I@-) ascocansadanoagogoonbno 360 bo656o0 St. Louis Medical and Surgical Journal. Wintiversitysloibraniyeccs.<.-ccsc-ncessoe sense E. C. Angelrodt GeOnceg Be iaiyiSesancentcecworsiscieccsc cece sees DrvAdamimelammeriacsc..ssccccoseccoossceee: eee eee eee ee eee eee ery Peete eee eee eet eeaeeeseesesces Springfield, Ill. Prof. Esbjérn _— ee LDR OO 20 Ae eee came ee eens eres esse rereeet Heesene _ ht OND 0D 1D © — wo Springfield, Mass. AWVaillivcnmnplllllivasecmcncseecsresseorsceoesertseen=s 2 Toronto, C. W. Canadianglnstitute occ sepscsersnisnescecsinciecs 6 Board of Agriculture, Upper Canada..... 1 Pliraitai ty, OE Re iensnesciennathwecereaeseenscmes 2 Prof. Kane stn... .--.--mc-seseacsvrnensecceeslens 1 Tripoli. Daniel Smith McCauley, late United StatesiCOMSUllisecmeneesceeee shen ere seaacacnale 1 Tuscaloosa, Ala. | University of Alabama ............666 sone 2 Utica, N. Y. American Journal of Insanity...........06. 5 Valdivia, Chili. Dr. Eugen Von Bock.....-sssssesssesceeneene 1 Vandalia, Ill. Historical Society of Illinois............... 1 . Valparaiso, Chili. | Dr. Thomas A. Reid .......04+. Ne ee 8 Washington, D. C. United States Patent Office.............++++ 87 Ordnance Bureau........scesesecceseseeeeveeees 2 United States Coast Survey .......-s0++++-- 12 National Observatory...... eoebersncuceeesces 32 Secretary Of War ...cccsccecescssceeveseereees 2 | Surgeon General.......1. sesssseseeseeeeneeees 1 Lieutenant J. M. Gilliss, U.S. N........ 36 William Stimpson ....... s+ qaeesensiesssesee 5 F. B. Meek, and Dr. F. V. Hayden.....| 2 Congress Library.....ccsssessseeeeeseeeeee eee 6 His Excellency James Buchanan......... i Commissioner of Indian Affairs............ 1 Commissioner of Patents......+.seesseeeeeee 5 Secretary Of State.....scsseececsseeceesenreees 1 Superintendent of Statistical Office ....... 1 National Institute........sseeeesee peceaeeeese 3 Trigonometrical Survey....-.ceeeeseeesseeees 1 United States Agricultural Society....... 1 War Department.......0- seeceeseseeeeeeceeees 1 Colonel Abert.,.....-scceccscssrrersrescgssvcers 2 Prof. S. F. Baird ...........0scssesesscsresseees 2 Prof. A. D. Bache .......s.sescoseseesreseeees- 46 Major Emory......... pone dboebor Fobeenanedodca 1 REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 65 D—Continued. Sa || S a o oS Se || 5 bp 22 | Fic 25) [52 Zz a | — ———— } | Washington, D. C.—Continued. Waterville, Me. TENOR, BIS) a ¥icecoovedresoossocnccoonpscbaceeconeceGs OnleWiatervillerCollesers..ecsseesececcesckes-aerar 2 ASS Hen cusOibenscessceccrosscoss socedeceeees acne 3 ET OMe sPeterMNOLECCr. scccccencsccscesecsasessece ike} West Chester, Penn. ID ye5 0C.. (GiiRe Gs coseadaoeacconanAbosonpooqesonobod 3 | CaptanmiEl: We blanistene..y...cs0c-.7cceeese-| 5 || W. ID Yee eV V0 core coconcocopobocgacenoOc: a0a000r L IBAROMRGeN GENO lisecsmcsnccsptestecacesvesesaacaacs 1 | Captain A. A. Humphreys................. 1 | West Point, N. Y. BOS: So Elub bards: sss sicsessececesateceees. 1 | sro VWiew bes WOU S ON ese ace c-onacassspciseteles 2 | Malitany: Aicademly :| lakes.) ist 47 12| 9119| 657 os ee Princeton....... BentoMmesecssese HAS AD BIAS ecnececae elise Shen ee ps | St. Cloud......4| Steatmes...cssc] 45 45 | 94 23 |occcccceslensecccrssee iniaioondaeAtpAtrsccceceree see Burlington..... Wialkecvcpsesssass ATA OM) 92530 | nG4on | leek: ielllleyr5 OL, Tels oscacccenbecoss RtAS Ga) Norio eeles's| PAM OKOr.tscteon ss i NG || BB) SI) teks |) Ee Lisieroiso late. tied ite gaacuondes Pajutazee....... BEOWMN\.....cecee- ANSS (OW || SEY Ol espocrenc ilvewke Meine Aly Cis. scwctes taccene ss Forest City....! Meeker ......... AS WAS. FOr OOM eseceses yeah ihniekstuneels. BY. eseseeeees © ative] diexcseeq|sEMllMt One: s.hceere|seeceatescss|tesccuncases | SBP) | ABS Te, Wheland, Henry............ Beaver Bay ...| Lake............. AME Male|) al BS) tet) || ake MISSISSIPPI. : Monticello ....| Lawrence...... 31 34} 90 00 600 | T. Cribbs, J. Re .....s0002-. Westville ......| Simpson ....... 32 00 |. 90 00 |... T. Johnson, Wm. M., M.D.| Hernando...... DelSoto.csese-- 34 45 | 90 15 TAO VAS Mic C anys ROME... Natchez ....... AMA neecssies: ell Bib] Si Bs 264) Bate R. Moore, Prof. Albert....... Grenada........ Malobushal.c-|) 33) 45) \SOROOR Rocce. ING Robinson, Rev. E.8....... Prairie Gane asper. sccce.s-|) o>) LON) SO) 20) tcc... | A. Swasey, Col.C. B.......... Yazoo City....| Yazoo .......... By Oy) || BO) SHI esaessoc | Ne MISSOURI. Balleyppsaiscescessieceosse tcc Dundee ......... Franklin ........ 38 30} 90 10 | 536) Alisskts Bowles, S. B., M. D...... | Greenfield...... Waderrcessess-: 37 22} 93 41 |1,800/ N. Christian, John..........0+ | Harrisonville.| Cass........ sings |saudodscowaxlsaeoxtuaness seacennes | N. * Above La Crosse. } Above low water mark at Memphis. 94 MISSOURI—Continued. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVERS, 3 Z 2 s = g a 3 Name of observer. Station. County. = = + = = = B: iS : " o n Zi e | ees Ort O ' | Feet TD HAllixovits OS) D seseanecoescoonacd Greenville...... Waly sesso ssa] -msctonmcuiene||ssicencatiesins| oe sotitens N. Dodson, Benjamin D....... Toronto. .......|' Camden... ..:.c. Baa 92 30! tabencase IN Engelmann,George, M.D.| St. Louis | Siig {LC SG6o500. 38 37 |} 9015] 481) A. Fendler, Augustus ......... Ste Woulstcsses. St MOuUIs...-| joist) | 90. 16 | 470) ie. eee Binley: dR Wieoecpsned-speoss Richmond...... LEN Adee ne neo cee 39/167) (94 B0l|e..-.cn- N. Heaston, David J.......... Bethany........ Harrison....... 40 15} 94 00|......... N. Fqiornery) Was blisescccceveseses Hornersville...| Dunklin........) 36 03 | 90 00 |......... ui: IRGHA Dy 75 IDS) Uepooandossecqncca00 Carrollton...... Carroll.........- 3) SiO) |] | SB) Bl Iesocgsa0s 43 Lunemann, John H....... Ste Moulstscee: te TOUTS esses os 38 40 | 90 15 475| A. IM Fesdeii7c) \WYio8 3 Saanonescsnacoee RariSteccrecsesnte Monroe...... 39 30 | 92 00 ROO aes. INES paheS\y dl dit ssoqunoscnasesoono Kirksville...... JNG leat ongnocnce 40 38; 92 50/1,000) N. Sutherland, Norris ......... Boonville ...... (Cooperseacans Brel OS) || BEM ecososose N. Tidswell, Mary Alice...... Warrenton ....| Warren......... 38/30) | 91 16.4, °7 82a": Wieck Wirdlscseiovesecawers Baliivar:cteec. eee Rollkeesecesss cece Silo LOD LAO Ml searcher N. Vogel, Chas. .............0+. Rhineland...... Montgomery .| 38 42 | 91 41 | *300|T.R. WWieberspehilipiecssccse- cess Hermann....... Gasconade . 38,407) S27 598| N. Viel = Wintisiccceseosecesas ses Stockton.....:.-| Cedar.......-.+-. 39 36 | 93 48 800| T. R. Wilson, Geo. W., jr.....- Lexington . ...| Lafayette....... SOON MO SRAoM enesenees N. WWyal clspIVI lives eessesenes Cassville ....... [SNA BV7bo00s¢0e000 36 41 |, 93 57 13,000) 2. R- NEBRASKA. JAMIE Wiis Urb eines) 1225 Gaqncaqoa50c: Omaha City...) Douglas......... A115} 96 10 )1,300) T. R. Bowen, Miss Anna M. J.| Elkhorn City.) Douglas......... A228) 96) 120 COD) me Hamilton, Rev. Wm......| Bellevue........ ALP Vierseccsetens ANTM (te): JO SIS) G0) paceeacée AG RY Bande erwin © \ccecoasmeceece Wo clo Blutisics|(Cassmncsssdnas: 40 54] 95 54 | 1,100) T. aim ominuGrerccs TRA Prather, > IVs. ssseeaceeed in bbim ital joqsecooee Portage’ s... .. Alleghany. anf Onan AOA D Eee ncecese ibe Bayona Wis Rut..cds.ccesed. Altoona... pies 28 40 30 | 78 31 11,168|B.T.R Brewster, Wm., M.D....| Huntingdon. .) Huntingdon...| 40 35 | 7803} 734|B.T.R Brugger, Samuel............ Fleming........ i@entrectesene-- NBS Hiei ash. |" Veal The dee Hee Gs. Blastonhivesscstees | Northampton.| 40 43 | 75 16} 320) A. Cools -t hos Es, doi Sons. Msendersvalleyoss| PAGANS se. cess: [oon acceanee ines ceneserelecasesees NG Darlington, Fenelon....... Parkersville ...) Chester ......... oe) Gey) We) idl || Patsy | Mike 1k Dawvissi Charlegicscccsessacse- Cannonsburg . Washington...| 40 17] 8018] 936/ A. Eggert, HOLE scaoaonasencacane: Ber Wilcke mnee.soc} | Columbia ...... A105) 76 15 | 583] A. BIE, MEY oc aclcwssntscemrecnes teins Shamokin...... | Northumber’d| 40 15 | 76 30} 700/|T.R. Eee Hbenezer:.....-...-.- Worrisvilley.--.| Bucks). ..0.426. 40 12| 74 48 SON Bake Harvey, dig: Chiocendéinscescnse Nazareth....... | | Northampton.| 40 43] 75 21] 530|/B.T.R Heckerman, Rev. Henry.| Bedford......... | Bedford .....+. AOBOUS 08 30) |e eecesen WS aR. Heisley, DiaJobn....cwere Harrisburg....| Dauphin ....... AO UG | dGreton|s.ceseaes Beno ky Heyser, William, jr ....... Chambersburg] Franklin ....... 39,98) || 77 45) GISH IEA. BIGICOLG RW Ondessecccscesee Harrisburg....| Dauphin ....... 40 20| 76 50 | 320) A. Hoffer, Dr. Jacob R ...... Mount Joy....! Lancaster...... 40 08 | 76 30 |......... A. Jacobs, TUG IpegIVIN . saiceiosieweie oe Gettysburg....| Adams.......... S949) ali Worl O24a pes. ie. James, Prof. Charles S ...| Lewisburg ....| Union........... AQUOS WMOnoGulaessansles A. Kerlin, Isaac N., M.D...| Media .......... IDET AWAT Os ceric. slanecossnexct| nose aseenet merle mes A Kirkpatrick, Prof. J. A... Philadelphia... Philadelphia...) 39 57 | 75 10 50 | A Kohler, Edward............. Whitehall St’n| Lehigh.......... ADVAN tome) ts 20h rd. Miantitiys Kise At Wids st eecisoe oes: Harrisburg... Dauphin sucieaes AOC Re OROOM towcesese Be lions Martindale, Jos.C.,M.D. Philadelphia... Philadelphia...) 40 05 | 75 09 |........ N Meehan, Thomas .......... Germantown.. Phnladelipiiia. |. atsconmace tncevosees lnnereeeen N Mowry, George:.\2.....2...: Somerset....:-.| Somerset....... 40 00 | 79 03 (2,195 | A. Muller, Prof. Rudolph... Al dleatrobe.c. cede se Westmoreland} 40 27 79 32 985 | B. Tok. Ralston, Rev. J. Grier ....| Norristown...., Montgomery .| 40 08 | 7519 | 153) A. Saurman, Sloan! Wid. sates ce lehy Sets oabadee | Philadelphia...| 40 00 | 74 49 |......... BE Lise Scott, Soi ea a Worthington..| Armstrong ....| 41 50 | 79 31 /1,050 | T. R. Smith, iin. DE Deo... Cannonsburg .| Washington...) 40 17} 80 10) 936)B.T.R. Speer, Wiles M., IMIG 1D isa ETS ey bayesiecneae Alleghany ales AQ 32] 80) 02) |) 850) Re Re Swift, We aU y cane svvne vs W. Haverford) Delaware ... ... 40 00} 75 21; 400/T.R. ‘Traivelis ional jacses.coss: Sewickleyville} Alleghany ..... AQ S84) SOM aa renee. BR Ua oe * Above low water in the Ohio river at Cincinnati. 98 METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVERS. RHODE ISLAND. | o : ; = 2 | 3 = 5 Namie of observer. Station. | County. 2 a 3 iS | 3 = "Ep : E | 2 |e lel Ory Oy H Feet Caswell; Prof. Acts deeecses Providence..... Providence....| 41 49} 71 25} 120 Sheldonis Hix C2. .c8s.essecees Providence..... Prowid CCE) ss.cl eeideebacee cal sesaceseezte|soseecess SOUTH CAROLINA. Cornish) Rev. John Hi..:.|(Adken .........- Barnwell ....... aoe) Sla34al) 565 Glennie, Rey. Alexander.| Georgetown...| All Saints......). 33 29 | 79 17 20 ag Pre MD. Charleston :...| Charleston... 32 46| 8000] 20 Ravenel, Thomas P........ Black Oak...... Charleston....| 33 00] 80 00 50 Peed TENNESSEE. Barney, Chas. R............ University Pl.) Franklin........ 35 12} 86 00 2,000 IBIEU@5 do: 18 poocsasaecnoodnacds LaGrange..... LEECH actionocdel bodacconcacd| sanosonbosc: oooabooss Dodge, J. W., & Son...... Pomona......... Cumberland..| 36 00} 85 00 |2,200 Dodge, Stephen C.......... Gio xavall eye. ENMOsetstelsaisle eles DO) OO) |e eters 1,000 Houghton, Sem laeseemeceies W inchester....! Franklin........ SOLOW SO) Oeil sweets Jennings, S. K., M. D....| Austin.......... WallsOmlcesmes sos 36 20 | 86 20 |2,000 Stewart, Prof. Wm. M...| Clarkesville ...; Montgomery..} 36 28) 87 13! 481 Mitchell, R. W., M. D...} Memphis ...... Shelbiviercesseoss 35 08} 9000) 262 TEXAS. AMIS SWhelivinillinesscccaeoes Gonzales....... Gonzales....... iS) Si) GE al) [sooo DeWernett: R:, Mi Diy... Greenville...... Lf libtaterasaoasoasnes SS LOM toe Sa eeceeree ne ace OF mma (Tanrantye.sss..- Fosse emecere ae) ld) Pe ker ul i cocasoa; Hireeseyi Gi cdeaccceecre scence BOStOnieneesesees Bowileereesstece 33 25 | 94 40 600 Eire dirich | Otto scrvsecsesccss New Braun-| Comal........... eA HN ee ker dls) | sonconsce fels. Gaffney, James O........... San Patricio...) San Patricio...; 27 45 | 98 31 |. ....... Gantt Dre Wil Ele cessse-- Winton seccssres Washington..| 30 11/| 96 31) 540 Gibb ssl sce ocvecsecceeteweice Efunatsival lessees VV allceiees sctesteee| cis escteoina| sctsieiesiestenias||seictetanta (GHEE 5 do IM Lodegnapsoodsceote Gulmer..-.-..-+- Wiashiresc sees 32 46 | 94 51 |1,017 Kaler, Frederick............ Aransas ........ IR@IUERTO)gseseoHee QAI an0S 15 [5Gaya} os, LON eStigssodoodooodoed oon Sisterdale ...... IBlaMCO)sncnes-6s0 29 54 | 98 35 |1,000 Tgcalllkog?., |! Gohonecisreooeenocboods Wheelock...... Robertson...... 30 50} 96 30} 450 Moke, Dr. James E........ Woodboro’....| Grayson....... 33 47 | 96 36 |......... Palais Wanterevccccsscnsscss AUSTIN eeececen Olravilssesssncnece SOM Da Oia a|Sceninices Rucker, B: H...............+ Washington...| Washington...| 30 26 | 96 15 |......... Schumann, Bruno .......... Round Top....| Fayette ......... S30) (OSs GIG: S32 oosescoss Sias, Prof. Solomon.......) Bonham........| Fannin......... 33 40 | 9613 | 4385 Varn Nostrandydicusescescess JAM GISIIT) donbipeeonea Wraviseesoreoss: 30 20; 97 46 | 650 Wiad (HVA Sietaeesecraceeecs Cross Roads. .| Williamson....| 30 29 | 97 26) 672 Wiest, DrsNee Pease ee Burkeville...... Newton........ Bile (CO) 4h SBI Sue eoceacee Yellowby, Prof. C. W....| Webberville .| Travis .......... 30 10 | 97°31 )......... Moalkcumiy Byeailineeccweoees JLENDIRREWadaaosous Cherokee....... ie 2) p> Gee eID a aeseeder METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVERS, UTAH: 99 | s are | | 3 E = | 4S) ot a Name of observer. Station. | County. s = Be S | Bie |e) 2 | . o na | A Biv alh as th Ve : OQ} Ov | Beet: ‘ ie ashington...| Washington...| 37 00 | 114 00 |......... Th Re Pearce, Harrison......... } | Heberville ..... Washington...| eabadeeseallvata Ste Maes oe ceee ae Bhelpssmwpaicrssaes- cose eee Great Salt | Salt Lake ...... 40 45 | 111 26 |4,260 | A. Lake City. | | | | : Ei. | Lee aaa VERMONT. = = a whys , Buckland} Davide... | Brandon. ........ Rutlandies. cn te 40743! 73) OOM rece BRA Chickering, Rev. J. W ...| Springfield ..... Windsor ....... BS) 18 ie toe 33 SO0M Mike bee Cutting, Hiram A.......... - Lunenburg... HSSeaxaneccse estes 44 28 | 71 41 j1,124)| A. Fairbanks, Franklin.......| St. Johnsbury | Caledonia ......| 4425} 7200] 540 | B.T.R. Paddock, James A......... | Craftsbury ....| Orleans ......... 44 40 | 72 29 |1,100 | T. R. Parker, Joseph ...c.-000.8-0- | West Rupert..| Bennington....| 43 15 | 73 11 |) 750) |/P PEL Vio V UC Gcreecmenclentearsas | Burlington ..... Chittenden..... 44.27 | 7310} 367/74 | ! VIRGINIA. | | Abella Je Ralls eeccscseeacose Charlottesville] Albemarle......, 38 00 | 7% 31; 521 |T.R. Appleyard, John............ Richmond...... FRENTE COlssssccres|scccesssieece |,otestereee [seeeeeses ase Astrep, Cole Bis sc5.0... Crichton’s| Brunswick.....| 36 40 | 77 46; 500 T. R. Store. BSI B Mert c cies ob ace ais ce' | Harper’sFerry) Jefferson........|....sececee sce aeons Jeseereees sfede. Dickinson, George C....... Cobham Depot) Albemarle...... 38 05/ 78 21 | 450/T.R. Piling DET peek eseetgess cs Wardensville .| Hardy........... 39 37} 78 03 /1,720 | A. Fraser, James................/ New England.| Wood........... 39 9 | 81 00 j......... N. TONES SUAS Bserssscosucees Fork Union....! Fluvanna... ... 3740 Gis) ZI Beaches ING Kendall, James E........... Kanawha C.H! Kanawa........ ¥ 20} 8130) 720)/T.R. Lockwood, George P...... Wheeling ...... Ohione aise. AL 09 | 80 46 |.......:. T.R. Meriwether, Charles I. ...) Richmond...... FRCPC sec. celas|/2o*s a 2**|esecnnamomee [rete eees T. R. Marvin, John W..........-.| Winchester....| Frederick......, 39 15 LSEUD) reases ats yes Pickett, JONMN\scos 41 86 IPMS CUP BALAI Y: . 6.0. 0s case comeesetee sable tankless 2,000 00 ransportation for Museum... eee 872 76 Mneidentals for miliseum |). eee 62 92 Replorations formiiseum: |... 2000.00. 476 45 Collections for museum......... Mi tate 5 eee 111. 23 Gralletay OUP be ee, uk eee oe ccs stucco ameeonee’ 237 18 cae 7,781 21 87,138 30 ee 108 REPORT OF COMMITTEE, The accounts for the year 1860 were made up to the 11th of Janu- ary, 1861, instead of the first of the same month as heretofore. This difference in time was occasioned by the delay in obtaining the appropriation and interest due at the beginning of the year. The balance in the hands of the treasurer at the commencement of the year 1860 was $19,634 11; of this, $4,600 were expended in the purchase of $5,000 Tennessee State bonds, leaving $15,034 11. The income during the year from the original and extra fund was $38,626 14. The expenditures during 1860 were $37,138 30; leaving $1,487 84 to be added to the balance in the hands of the treasurer on the first of the year, making $16,521 95 immediately available for paying in cash the expenses of the operations of the Institution as rapidly as the bills come due. The foregoing statement is an actual exhibit of the Smithsonian funds, irrespective of credits and disbursements which have been made in behalf of other parties. For example: the Institution has fre- quently advanced money to pay for the transportation of packages for other establishments, such as the Coast Survey, Patent Office, &c., forwarded through the Smithsonian agents; and in all such cases the money, when refunded, has been credited to the appropriation from which the expenditure was originally made. Again: the use of the lecture-room has in many instances been’ granted for charitable pur- poses, without any other charge than for the gas consumed; and the money received for this has been credited on the books of the Institu- tion to the account of ‘‘ lighting and heating.’’ The agricultural department of the Patent Office has for several years past expended a small portion of its appropriation, for the col- lection of meteorological statistics in connection with this Institution. During the past year the assistance from this source has been unex- _pectedly very much reduced; and hence, the expenditure on mete- orology from the Smithsonian fund has considerably exceeded the estimate. The annual appropriation of $4,000 from Congress, for keeping the collections of the exploring and surveying expeditions of the United States, has been expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, in assisting to pay the extra expenses of assistants, and the cost of arranging and preserving the specimens. The aid thus ren- dered has served to diminish the cost to the Smithsonian fund of the maintenance and exhibition of the museum, although it has by no means been sufficient to defray all the expenses of these objects, as will be seen by reference to the items given under the head of the museum, in the detailed statement. The specimens intrusted to the care of the Institution are in good condition, and the duplicates are in process of being assorted prepara- tory to a general distribution for scientific and educational pur- oses. : The committee respectfully submit the following estimates for the year 1861. REPORT OF COMMITTER. 109 Receipts. Balance in the hands of the Treasurer, January 11, 1861.. $16,521 95 haterest. on oriepimairmnel Conti. eile ce ceecmatee denene state's 30,910 14 iinderest’ on cinekesinmarenind 5552250604550 55200 Lo Soc hoe ko iieereone os 7,716 00 otal seers to scisieiiie Mesatecietss ede ties eee 55,148 09 Estimate of Hxpenditures for 1861. BUILDING, FURNITURE, AND FIXTURES. Mimend tact Mos reals ticers sete ae etins us aaicoing ose oe cae mae ese cale Sey neiaint $1,500 00 IBMT UN REUTER. 2 coe 5. ce stirs siccccivobeenn omer ea louetaeeniner arate 800 00 - 2,300 00 GENERAL EXPENSES. Se TIM Wee DOAK vate tam son cotiee «tes csenseven tens $250 00 divehitime tamd! Wea Gc. crs ea ccisees ce ccse se casas. 1,000 00 SLO artes ee a ae Senet lide vlabalaieraepitactlst 600 00 MPaHSpORtAbiOm, «(PeNEral) |... awe er aciecs setae ceoeveess 1,000 00 BP INES) oh se cai cietcvinh vin ieioe saan wntslemeiigeaerasleciciwes 1,000 00 ROU EU LENE GY ante wetoesscers asia ais. deine ars naisielei he alolateleretetiase'n «ticles 300 00 GG eineried poe eteete cues scan saceeie/asletts etal Rage onic om 300 00 ASO DE EDU ULS ote uctcteteifeistersa tae ic eaares ewe Scie e aise eiestra hiss 800 00 BG eMo nT as iary Nh 55 es scronye YelAda aici Mabe iarcteeclaw w stictviste eran 150 00 Tncidentals; (cemerall).<. genes. scolaire donee dasionees 600 00 Battanclerke Mire eee ee stl. coke else ertas aepltae dade 500 00 Paes. —_SeCrevarwy icaencecesscsenecsatenseas~essedears 3,500 00 Chief clerk, book-keeper, messenger, labOReRees toca stenedsanvasesamennes ar. 3,000 00 13,000 00 PUBLICATIONS, RESEARCHES, AND LECTURES. Simi hsonian, WontributiONs.. <. 2. c.secreene ces ese eenss $6,000 00 DUMULMAOTMAM MC POPS... .coc.<.sccsvagesmo@acssseeseess 500 00 Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections ............ 1,000 00 Other publications ..72....06.c0sarcecess festa aera ease 250 00 | IOI OOP o esd. cs Aaeitinarnaweidr ola saws hen settee eae acer 4,000 00 MG emetie Observatory <<. ...0ae- 6.08 .eceasesgcedns ces 250 00 Rae ENE Sita acy aician'v ciee plo merupias virsislvs asia nleeidiclee rio mags 400 00 DiS Ctipene ter creat cece Gioais sis vetaseaian tasrnesesmeweistesicne vase es 800 00 13,200 00 110 REPORT OF COMMITTEE. LIBRARY, MUSEUM, AND GALLERY OF ART. Library.—Cost of books and binding.............. $2,500 00 Pay of assistants in library............. 1,200 00 Transportation and exchange for li- IOUELT'Y’ 1.5) sds ansietiencee seen ee er atan seen cis 500 00 hneiden taligs. oauasemcnese see decense tase 50 00 Mingo Salary «2 svanssunen cuca Sacanes cheers canes 2,000 00 Assistants and lapore 42.6 .csae das sues 1,000 00 DPransponemurOms, aoaeesswctiseet sc ebmectiice: 550 00 Tmerdenbalis ees ee etekveaact. docenntes 1,000 00 Hxplorabioness css .bocs. cco ties telcos 400 00 Gaalilery Ob arent: Sse. seinen stor casas v'eje's asi isin vets 300 00 —— $9,500 00 38,000 00 The committee have carefully examined all the books and accounts of the Institution for the past year, and find them to be correct. Respectfully submitted. J. A. PEARCE, ASD DACEMR: JOS. Ga TORTEN, Executive Committee. . JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. Wasuineton, January 16, 1861. In accordance with a resolution of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, fixing the time of the beginning of their annual session on the third Wednesday of January of each year, the Board met this day in the Regents’ room. No quorum being present, the Board adjourned to meet at the call of the Secretary. Fresruary 16, 1861. The Board of Regents met this day, at ten o’clock, a. m., in the Regents’ room. Present: Hon. James A. Pearce, Hon. James M. Mason, Hon. S. A. Douglas, Hon. W. H. English, Hon. Benj. Stanton, Gen: Jos. G. Totten, Prof. A. D. Bache, and the Secretary. Mr. Mason was called to the chair. The Secretary stated that there are at present three vacancies in the Board of Regents, among the class of citizens at large, namely: the vacancy occasioned by the expiration of the term of service of Hon. Gideon Hawley, of Albany, who declines a reélection on account of inability to attend; that occasioned by the death of Hon. Richard Rush; and that by the expiration of the term of Dr. C. C. Felton, of Harvard University: that a resolution was some time since presented to the Senate of the United States to fill these vacancies, which had not yet been acted upon. Mr. Pearce presented the report of the Executive Committee, with the estimates for the year 1861; which was read and adopted. Ti PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. A communication addressed to the Secretary, relative to the Wynn estate, was read. The Secretary stated that since the death of Hon. Richard Rush, no communication had been received in regard to the remainder of the Smithsonian bequest left in England, as the principal of an annuity to the mother of the nephew of Smithson; whereupon, on motion of Mr. Bache, it was Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to communicate with Messrs. Clark, Fynmore & Fladgate, attorneys in London, informing them of the death of Hon. Mr. Rush, and making inquiry as to thé present condition of this annuity. On motion of Mr. English, it was Resolved, That the Secretary be directed to adjust the accounts of the Regents for traveling and other expenses, at each annual or special meeting, according to the provisions of the act of organization. A letter was read relative to the debt of the State of Arkansas, desiring the Regents to unite with other parties in endeavoring to recover it. The Secretary stated that he had rephed, giving as his individual opinion that the Regents are in no way interested in this matter ; the United States having assumed the debt originally due from the State of Arkansas to the Smithsonian fund. On motion, it was Resolved, That the Board concur in this opinion. A communication addressed to the Board, from H. A. Gaston, of Napa City, California, requesting aid in introducing a new steam engine, was read. The Secretary stated that this communication was one of a large class usually addressed to himself in his official capacity ; that he had answered these communications by stating that it did not form a part of the policy of the Institution to give an opinion as to the merits of any invention, or to render assistance to any enterprise which, though it might be of importance to the public, was undertaken for the immediate benefit of an individual ; that the government of the United States had enacted laws granting an exclusive monopoly to inventors as a reward for their ingenity, and that they must apply to the Patent Office for the means of securing a remuneration for their labors. That if, how- ever, In any case, an individual has made an invention for which he does not intend to take out a patent, then the Institution would accept , on the usual conditions, an account of such invention, and would make it known, through the Smithsonian publications, to the civilized world, thus securing to the inventor the reputation which might justly be his due. PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 113 The following memorial was presented from distinguished citizens of Philadelphia, accompanied by a letter from Mr. Lowe: To Pror. JosepH HENRY, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. The undersigned, citizens of Philadeiphia, have taken a deep interest in the attempt of Mr. T. 8. C. Lowe to cross the Atlantic by aeronautic machinery, and have confidence that his extensive preparations to effect that object will add greatly to scientific knowledge. Mr. Lowe has individually spent much time and money in the enterprise, and, in addition, the citizens of Philadelphia have contributed several thousand dollars to further his efforts in demonstrating the feasibility . of trans-Atlantic air navigation. With reliance upon Mr. Lowe and his plans, we cheerfully recommend him to the favorable consideration of the Smithsonian Institution, and trust such aid and advice will be furnished him by that distinguished body as may assist in the success of the attempt, in which we take a deep interest. JNO. C0. CRESSON. WILLIAM HAMILTON. W. H. HARRISON. HENRY SEYBERT. J. CHESTON MORRIS, M. D. ISAAC LEA. FAIRMAN ROGERS. JAMES C. FISHER, M. D. THOS. STEWARDSON, M. D. JB. LP PINCOmE: GEO. W. CHILDS. JOHN GRIGG. S. 8. HALDEMAN. JOHN F. FRAZER. GEORGE HARDING. M. McMICHAEL. PHILADELPHIA, December, 1860. On motion of Mr. Mason, it was Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to give Mr. Lowe any advice which he may deem fit, as to his experiments ; and to reply to the memorialists stating the reasons why the Regents do not consider themselves at liberty to make any appropriation from the Smithsonian fund for the purpose mentioned in the communication, Several communications received by the Secretary from David P. Holton, were read and referred to the Executive Committee. The following letters also were presented by the Secretary: [Translation. ] Bern, November 24, 1860. Str: I have received the last invoice of publications, which through your kindness has. been presented to me by your great and liberal 8 lea: PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. Institution. The grammar and dictionary of the Yoruba language, by Mr. Bowen, have especially interested me. Expressing my thanks to the honorable directors, I have the pleasure to send some of my latest publications, with the request that they be placed in the Smithsonian library. They are the following: 1. Two volumes of my ‘‘ Kénigsbuch,’’ containing the chronological restitution of the Hgyptian dynasties of Manethon, and the collection of the hieroglyphical names of all the kings; being, as it were, a sup- plement to the great work ‘‘On the Monuments of Egypt and Ethi- opia,’’ prepared by myself at the expense of the State, a copy of which the King, at my suggestion, has presented to the Smithsonian Library. Of this you have lately received the last series of plates, and the de- scriptive teat will be sent as soon as I can finish it. 2. A dissertation, read at our Academy of Sciences, on the ‘‘ Extent of the Egyptian History after Manethon.”’ 3. Another similar one on several points of ‘‘Chronology.”’ 4, A volume of thirty-seven plates, representing the pictures exe- cuted, under my direction, upon the walls of the Egyptian Museum, in Berlin. To these I add some pamphlets relating to the introduction of a general linguistic or standard alphabet for expressing foreign lan- guages, which have either not been written at all or not in European characters. They are,:for the present: 5. An English copy of the pamphlet I have published on the stand- ard alphabet. 6. A German copy of the same. 7. Translation, by Mr. Lechler, of the Gospel of St. Matthew into Chinese, in the characters of the standard alphabet. 8. Translation, by myself, of the Gospel of St. Mark, into the Nubian language; printed in types of the standard alphabet. This forms part of a book which also contains the grammar and dictionary of the Nu- bian and several other similar languages, the printing of which is not yet finished. The two copies of the standard alphabet are of the first edition. We are just now printing the second, with some slight alterations and a much more complete collection of alphabets. I shall send it in time, and would not, at present, have transmitted the first edition, the small number of copies of which has actually been withdrawn, if it were not of special interest for a library to follow up the gradual development of a subject of general importance. You will see from the pamphlet that most of the missionary societies have decided to introduce the alphabet, the American Board of Com- missioners for Foreign Missions included, and that the number of books printed in these characters is rapidly augmenting. I know of sixty or more. I do not know whether you have any opportunity of exercising an influence among the savans of your country in favor of the adoption of the standard alphabet. At any rate you will allow me to recommend such a course. Mr. Bowen, from his Yoruba grammar, seems not to have had any knowledge of it; while Mr. Crouther, his learned predecessor in the grammar of this language, has already adopted it in his later publications; and Mr. lL. Grout, PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 115 also of the American Board, has made use of and has earnestly recom- mended it in his excellent grammar of the Zulu-Kaffir. I should feel very grateful, if you will let me know whether there has been any attention given to this question with you, and if you would communicate to me whatever may relate to the subject. The original languages of America will be found transcribed in much greater number in the second edition of the standard alphabet; and, if you know of any scholar who makes the study of these languages his specially, and who could give me instructions as to the exact pronun- ciation of the letters of some of them, 1 would be much obliged if you would make me acquainted with him. Among your former publications, besides those relating to linguistics and ethnology, such as the grammar of the Dakotah language, there are also memoirs relating to the antiquities of different parts of America, viz: the researches of Squier and Davis on the monuments of the Mississippi. I received from Mr. Squier himself his memoir on the monuments of New York, (vl. H, art. 9 ;) and also have most of the writings of Squier, Pickering, and Morton, in separate publica- tions ; but of your antiquarian ae I am still in want of the following : Wol, L- vol. IY, art. 22 11176" 7 Vilo. Mido notwen- ture to designate other memoirs 5 that De eratify my general in- terest in American science ; yet I should be highly obliged if you would continue the transmission of your reports, and add those of the foregoing volumes which you can most readily spare. Will you let me know whether you have already the first volume of my ‘‘ Egyptian Chronology;’’ if not, I shall not fail to send a copy. I beg your pardon for this long letter, which I fear has taken too much of your time, occupied by many other hy ae! Accept the expression of the high consideration with which I am, sir, your most obedient, R. LEPSIUS. Professor JosepH Hunry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. MELBOURNE BoTANIc AND ZodLOGIC GARDEN, October 25, 1860. Honored anpD Duar Sir: I owe you my grateful acknowledgment of transmitting to me, through the iindness: of Hon. William "Haines, the valuable reports of the Smithsonian Institution for ae and 1858, and the celebrated work on the North American algae, furnished by our common friend Dr. Harvey. Whilst expressing my warmest thanks for having been deemed worthy, by your noble Institution, to share in the gifts which, by the world-famed liberality of the Smithsonian Institution, the men of science so extensively enjoy, I beg to state that it will be a source of pleasure to me to endeavor to reciprocate your friendly offers, and that I hope, through Prof. Asa Gray, within a few months, to lay several recent publications of mine, including the first volume of the ‘Plants of Victoria,’’ before your Institution and other American scien- tific associations. 116 PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. If I can in any way serve the laudable purposes of your excellent Institution, I hope you will freely command my services. Most regardfully, dear Professor Henry, yours, FERD. MUELLER. The Secretary gave an account of what has been done in relation to the distribution of duplicate specimens of natural history, and read several letters acknowledging the receipt of the donations, and ex- pressing appreciation of the policy adopted by the Institution. Among these was the following: University or Toronto, December 3, 1860. Dear Sir: In acknowledging the receipt of about 200 species of shells sent to the University Museum, through the hberality of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, I beg to express my very high appreciation of the disposition manitested by the Institution to make its superfluous stores available in the communication of knowledge in various places, and even beyond the limits of the United States. The contribution now made is a very valuable addition to the museum of the University of Toronto, even those species of which we have already specimens being interesting from their authentic names and known habitats....We are deeply obliged by the kindness manifested; and if we find any way of reciprocating it, I shall personally feel the greatest pleasure in promoting your views. Believe me to be, dear sir, very faithfully yours, WILLIAM HINCKS. The SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. Copies of the several papers and miscellaneous articles published by the Institution since the last annual session were laid before the Board. The fact was stated that the Potomac water had been brought by Government through the grounds of the Smithsonian Institution, to the middle of the south front of the building ; that the Institution was now supplied with rain water from the cisterns in the towers, but as the supply from this source was uncertain, it was desirable that the Potomac water should be introduced ; whereupon it was Resolved, That the Secretary procure plans and estimates for the introduction of the Potomac water into the building, and that the Secretary and the Executive Committee be authorized to make con- tracts for this purpose. The Secretary presented his annual report of the operations of the Institution ; which was read in part. The Board then adjourned, to meet on Tuesday, February 19, at 8 o’clock p. m. Turspay, /ebruary 19, 1861. The Board met at 8 o'clock p. m., in the Regent’s room of the Smithsonian Institution. PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS, They Present: Hon. James M. Mason, Hon. W. H. English, Hon. B. Stanton, General Joseph G. Totten, Professor A. D. Bache, and the Secretary. Mr. Mason was called to the chair. The minutes were read and approved. The report of the Secretary was read and adopted. The Board then took a recess till Friday evening. Fripay, february 22, 8 p. m. Present: Messrs. Pearce, Douglas, English, and Totten. The Secretary read the appendix to his annual report. The Secretary presented the following letters, which he had prepared in accordance with the resolution of the Board, relative to aerial navi- gation, in answer to the memorial of citizens of Philadelphia, and to the communication of Mr. Lowe. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Washington, March 8, 1861. GENTLEMEN: Your communication, addressed to the Smithsonian Institution, commending Mr. Lowe to the Board of Regents, for assistance in carrying out his proposed experiment to cross the Atlantic by means of a balloon, was duly received. It was presented to the Board of Regents at their meeting of February 16, was respectfully considered, and, after due deliberation, the following resolution was adopted : ‘* Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to give Mr. Lowe any advice which he may deem fit as to his experiments; and to reply to the memorialists, stating the reasons why the Regents do not consider themselves at liberty to make any appropriation from the Smithsonian fund for the purpose mentioned in the communication ”’ In accordance with the above resolution I would state that the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution are responsible to the Government and to the world for the prudent expenditure of the income of the Smithson bequest, and inasmuch as the proposed experiment is one which, in the minds of the majority of considerate and reflective persons, is of great hazard, the Regents do not think, whatever might be their individual desire to advanée the art of aerial navigation, that they would be justified in making an appropriation from the Smith- sonian income to assist in this enterprise. Any questions which may be propounded to me in regard to the experiment of Mr. Lowe will be cheerfully answered, as far as we have the means of giving the required information. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. To Messrs. Jno. C. Cresson, Issac Lua, and others, Philadelphia. 118 PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. SMITHSONIAN LystTrruTIon, Washington, D. C., March 11, 1861. Dear Siz: In reply to your letter of February 25, requesting that IT would give you my views in regard to the currents of the atmos- phere and the possibility of an application of a knowledge of them to aerial navigation, I present you with the following statement, to be used as you may think fit. I have never had faith in any of the plans proposed for navigating the atmosphere by artificial propulsion, or for steering a balloon ina direction different from that of the current in which the vehicle is floating. The resistance to a current of air offered by several thousand feet of surface, is far too great to be overcome by any motive power at present known which can be applied by machinery of sufficient Lightness. The only method of aerial navigation which in the present state of knowledge appears to afford any possibility of practical application, is that of sailing with the currents of the atmosphere. The question, therefore, occurs as to whether the aerial currents of the earth are of such a character that they can be rendered subservient to aerial loco- motion. In answering this question, I think I hazard little in asserting that the great cur rents of the atmosphere have been sutticiently studied, to enable us to say with certainty that they follow definite courses, and that they may be rendered subservient to aerial navigation, provided the balloon itself can be so improved as to render it a safe vehicle of locomotion. It has been established by observations extending now over two hundred years, that, at the surface of the earth, within the tropics, there is a belt along which the wind constantly blows from an easterly direction; and, from the combined meteorological observations made in different parts of the world within the last few years, that north of this belt, between the latitudes of 30° and 60°, around the whole earth the resultant wind is from a westerly direction. The primary motive power which gives rise to these currents is the constant heating of the air in the equatorial, and the cooling of it in and toward the polar regions; the eastern and western deflections of these currents being due to the rotation of the earth on its axis. The easterly current in the equatorial regions is always at the surface, and has long been known as the trade winds, while the cur- rent from the west is constantly flowing in the upper portion of the atmosphere, and only reaches the surface of the earth at intervals generaily after the occurrence of a storm. Although the wind, even at the surface, over the United States and around the whole earth between the same parallels, appears to be exceedingly fitful; yet when the average movement is accurately re- corded for a number of years, it is found that a large resultant remains of a westerly current. This is well established by the fact that on an average of many years, packet ships sailing from New York to Great Britain occupy nearly double the time in returning that they do in going. It has been fully established by continuous observations collected at PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 119 this Institution for ten years, from every part of the United States, that, as a general rule, all the meteorological phenomena advance from west to east, and that the higher clouds always move eastwardly. We are therefore, from abundant observation, as well as from theoretical considerations, enabled to state with confidence that on a given day, whatever may be the direction of the wind at the surface of the earth, a balloon elevated sufficiently high, would be carried easterly by the prevailing current in the upper or rather middle region of the atmos- here. : I do not hesitate, therefore, to say, that provided a balloon can be constructed of sufficient size, and of sufficient impermeability to gas, in order that it may maintain a high elevation for a sufficient length of time, it would be wafted across the Atlantic. I would not, however, advise that the first experiment of this character be made across the ocean, but that the feasibility of the project should be thoroughly tested, and experience accumulated by voyages over the interior of our continent. It is true that more eclat might be given to the enterprise, and more interest excited in the public mind generally, by the imme- diate attempt of a passage to Europe; but I do not think the sober sense of the more intelligent part of the community would be in favor of this plan ; on the contrary, it would be considered a premature and foolhardy risk of life. It is not in human sagacity to foresee, prior to experience, what sim- ple occurrence, or what neglect in an arrangement, may interfere with the result of an experiment ; and therefore 1 think it will be impossible for you to secure the full confidence of those who are best able to ren- der you assistance except by a practical demonstration, in the form of successful voyages from some of the interior cities of the continent to the seaboard. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOSEPH HENRY, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. T. 8. C. Lows, Esq., Philadelphia, Pa. The Board then adjourned sine die. Ne MU ee i i‘ Tih Lares RBG) ERAS Rr at cape a pes mee By a Wa vk GENERAL APPENDIX TO THE RHEORT POR 1560. e The object of this Appendix is to illustrate the operations of the Institution by the reports of lectures and extracts from correspond- ence, as well as to furnish information of a character suited especially to the meteorological observers and other persons interested in the promotion of knowledge. LECTURES. ON ROADS AND BRIDGES. BY gk AGI SIV AGINis EL Ol Gra Binks) PROFESSOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, FIRST LECTURE It is the business of the civil engineer to design and to execute th public works of a country, and of such works the means of communi- cation are, perhaps, the most important. In some countries this branch of the engineer’s profession is taken as a type of the whole range of his duties; and we find in France the ‘‘Corps des Ponts et Chaussées’’ is not confined necessarily to the consideration of ‘‘ bridges and roads’’ only, but extended to the many branches which we include under the name of ‘‘civil engineering.”’ I shall devote these lectures to an examination of the principles which govern the location and construction of roads, and of the br idges, which, under ordinary circumstances, form an important part of them. In any country, no matter how new, means of communication be- tween different settlements of men, or between any points of resort, are of the first necessity. Where all traveling is done on foot, as was the case in our country while occupied by the Indians, simple trails marked by blazed trees to indicate the direction, will be sufficient. When beasts of burden are introduced, a wider and smoother path is necessary, and road making on a small scale commences; obstacles which the hunter on foot easily surmounted must be removed for the pack horse. In many rough countries, such as Switzerland and Spain, bridle paths were the only avenues of communication until within a very recent period, and many of these are in use at the present day. In very mountainous countries, even the construction of a bridle path requires a considerable amount of labor and ingenuity, as is shown in most of 1 such as that of the St. Bernard, the Téte Noire, and particularly the Gemmi. As sledges or wheeled vehicles, even of the rudest description, come into use, the roads must be made wider, smoother, and less steep, until we come to the limits which are now assiened by engineers for roads of the first class. It would seem hardly necessary to dilate upon the immense ad¥ant- ages which spring from ample and economical means of communica- tion throughout a country. In this age of rapid locomotion, they are 124 LECTURE strongly set forth in the prospectus of every new railroad project, and are familiar to all; but, somewhat strangely, while we have covered our country with these iron ways, we have the doubtful honor of having the very worst common roads of any civilized country on the globe. This is probably owing to two reasons: first, that the railroads which were introduced just at the time when our public improvements were being projected, naturally absorbed all attention to the exclusion of other means of communication; and secondly, that there has been a lamentable deficiency of the information and education necessary to insure the successful location and construction of common roads among those to whom they have been intrusted. In Kurope, where perfect roads were needed long before the iron way was invented, an amount of money and thought had been ex- pended in making roads which strikes the American traveler with | astonishment. He finds that as much labor and care have been be- stowed upon common roads in the old world as have been by us upon our railroads. It is much to be hoped that as the necessary information is diffused throughout the country, our common roads will improve in condition, especially since, in many cases, such improvement is attended with economy in first cost, in working, and in maintenance, and will only require a little more expenditure of thought and care in the planning and execution. The principles involved in the location and construction of roads are few, simple, and unchangeable; and a little attention paid to them by road makers would prevent the mistakes which are so painfully apparent to every traveler. The subject of road making is divided into two parts: location and construction; the art of locating a road being that of determining and tracing on the ground the best line for the road to follow—of construc- tion, that of preparing the road bed for the traffic which is to pass over it. In the very simplest case that can be imagined, that of a foot path to connect two places situated on a smooth plain, no location would be necessary beyond marking the path in some way, so that the direction could be kept by the traveler; but such a very simple case could rarely occur, and as the difficulties increase we must find means to overcome them. As a general rule, a foot path may be led over almost any obstacles, for an experienced mountaineer can ascend nearly perpendicular cliffs, especially when aided by even the most simple apphances, such as ladders, ropes, or notched logs. The famous ‘‘Path of Ladders’’ at the Baths ‘of Loesche, in Switzerland, is an example of a foot path of the rudest description. These baths are situated in a deep valley sur- rounded with perpendicular cliffs, and the only way by which they can be reached is by passing almost perpendicularly down the chff by means of ladders fastened to the face of the rock. Since we rarely find a plain, but usually a surface more or less un- dulating, we must be able to locate our road to the best advantage upon it. Although upon the map a straight line between two points seems to be the shortest, we shall find, when we come to examine it ON ROADS AND BRIDGES. 125 upon the ground, that it is not always so, for it may pass over so many elevations and depressions that it is actually longer than a line traced near it and pe RTs these irregularities. If we have a hill of a hemispherical form, like half of a globe, placed upon a ante. the distance from one side to the other over the top will be precisely the same as the distance around it at its base, and we should have the disadvantage of going up on one side and down on the other, instead of keeping a level road around. Although this principle seems a simple one, we find it continually disregarded, there being frequent cases where common roads pass directly over a high point with lower ground within a few feet on either side of them. In fact, in any country other than a perfectly level one, a road which keepsa straight direction for mile after mile, as many of our turnpikes do, must necessarily be badly located, since advantage has evidently not been taken of the natural features of the surface. We must bear in mind the fact that the force required to draw a well made wagon in good order over a smooth level road is very small compared with the absolute weight of the wagon and load. ‘On a good turnpike about one fiftieth of the load,* that is a tractive force of ten pounds will move a load of five hundred pounds, the only resistance being from friction of the axles and from the minute obstacles of the t=) surface. Under such circumstances, the horse’s power is applied most economically. When a horse attempts to move a load up an inclined plane, however, in addition to overcoming the friction, he has also to raise a part of the weight of the wagon, according as the inclination is more or less great. “Now, if the two places connected by the road are on the same level, all lifting of the load up inclinations only to let it down again on the other side will be so much power expended uselessly. Increas- ing the length of a road, therefore, to avoid hills, is in most cases an economy to the traveler. Of course, the exact amount of increase, or the equation of grades and distances, as it is called by the engineer, must be a matter of calculation based upon experiment and observation. A considerable deviation can be made to the right or left of a straight line joining two points without materially increasing the length of the road. For example: if the two points be ten miles apart, we may deviate a whole mile at the middle of the distance, to either side, with- out increasing the length of the path traveled the fifth of a mile. Having these gener ral principles to guide him, the engineer, in locating a road, should first make a thor ough examination, on foot or on hor seback, of the whole country lying between the points to be con- nected. He should collect all the maps of the region that he can find, and he should gather from the inhabitants information on various subjects: such as, where low places exist in the ridges; what points are particularly free from, or filled up with, snow in the winter; what places are remarkably exposed to the wind; ‘and particularly ascertain the height and boundaries of all the str eams during the highest freshets that have been know n, so that no part of the road or bridges may be exposed to danger fr om a rise of the water, Ina rather small region, * Poncelet. Morin. 126 LECTURE with decided leading features, the experienced engineer will often be enabled, after a thorough reconnoissance of this kind, to determine within narrow limits upon the location; but in an extended and difficult or broken country, it will often be necessary to make a survey of several trial lines before a sufficient amount of information can be collected. In the United States, where, except along the sea-coast and in Mas- sachusetts, no regular and reliable general surveys have been made, the maps will be found quite deficient, and in many cases the engineer must prepare one more or less extended for his own use. This will be particularly the case in a rough mountain country, where much time would be lost in making the surveys of trial lines, many of which would turn out to be impracticable when nearly completed. Much information can be gained even from a map which has only the streams marked upon it. Since the stream. always runs through the lowest line of the valley, the position of the valleys and the general inclinations of the country will be indicated by them. A very crooked stream, with softly rounded bends, will almost always indicate a smooth, nearly level, alluvial bottom or meadow land through which it flows; while straight streams, with sharp angles, and with branches running abruptly into them at large angles, indicate a rocky, hilly country, with narrow, steep-sided valleys. ‘These indications are, however, so very general that a map, showing the different heights of the various points of the country, is absolutely essential. Such a map is called a topographical map. There are two methods in use of delineating upon paper the topo- graphical features of a country—by hachure lines and by contour lines. The first and older system indicates the inclinations by short lines drawn in the direction of the slope of the ground, and the amount of the inclination by the greater or less thickness of the lines, in accord- ance with some arbitrary standard. In the second system, the relative heights of the various points are indicated by continuous lines of equal level, at certain vertical distances apart.. The first originated with, and is especially adapted to the wants of, the military engineer, since the inclination of the surface is the matter which most concerns him ; the disadvantage of it, however, is, that it conveys but a faint idea of the true features of the surface, even to theexpert. Figs. 1 and 2 show the two methods applied to the same surface. \\ | => f G- WY GZ SLES Lhg Lea = A VO = UG = Fig. 1. ON ROADS AND BRIDGES. be & The method of contour lines will be readily understood from the fol- lowing explanation. Let us suppose an island situated in a lake: the water will wash the base and form a water line, all the points of which will be in the same horizontal plane—that is, on a level with the sur- - face of the lake. Now, if we suppose the water to rise one foot, another water line will be made, all the points of which will be in a horizontal plane one foot above the first plane, all the points of the surface of the island between these two lines will be less than one foot above the level of the lake. By successive stages of the water we shall get a succes- sion of lines, until the island is entirely submerged. Now, suppose we place ourselves in a balloon above the island, and look down upon it as upon a map, we shall see all these horizontal curves projected upon the level surface, as in Fig. 3. And if we make a map of the island, with these lines upon it, our topograph- ical information regarding it will be complete. Knowing the vertical dis- tance between the lines, by measuring the horizontal distance we can determ- ine the inclination. The elevation of any point may be determined by simple inspection. With a map of this kind carefully prepared, the engineer can locate his line in the office, and often to greater advantage than in the field —since he can see the whole country at a glance. Having thus a general Fig. 2. map of the country, he will be guided i by a few simple principles. Ifa ridge exists between the points to be connected, it is usually desirable to cross it at its lowest point. A stream commonly starts from such a point, and by following it up, the summit can be reached by a comparatively easy ascent along the valley. The most difficult countries are those which have no leading streams or valleys, but which are broken up by rounded hills and disconnected hollows—since a line which appears practicable for a con- siderable distance will sometimes end in an impracticable spot. In such regions, a carefully-constructed topographical map is indis- pensable to prevent the expenditure of a great deal of time in wild explorations. It should be distinctly borne in mind that a reconnoissance sufti- ciently accurate for the purpose, can be made in a comparatively short time, by an experienced topographer, with a very small party and portable instruments; while the running of trial lines is a much more serious matter. In an ordinarily level country, the attention of the engineer will be turned to the selection of the best route, without his ingenuity being taxed to surmount great obstacles; and he will there- fore aim at making the road as direct as possible, while avoiding any great ascents or descents. In an extremely mountainous country like Switzerland, it will some- times be difficult not only to obtain the best line, but to find any line which will be practicable, owing to the great difference of level of the 128 LECTURE points to be connected. And this brings us to the consideration of the important subject of grade. I have stated that the force required to move a load on a level bears but a small proportion to the whole weight; but that on an inclined plane, the animal drawing the load must lift it vertically through a distance which depends upon the inclination. Careful experiments have shown that in a first-class mountain road the grade should not exceed one in thirteen—that is, a rise of one foot in every thirteen feet of horizontal distance, and that even this grade should be used only on short sections, and should be varied by frequent levels on which teams may rest. Now, if the difference of height between any two points is more than one thirteenth of the horizontal distance, it will evidently be impossible to connect them by a straight road, since it will be too steep. The horizontal distance must be increased while the vertical distance remains the same. In cases where the points are at the extremities of a straight, narrow valley with precipitous sides, as is frequently found in the Alps, considerable difficulty will be en- countered in getting this increased length, and the ingenuity of the engineer will be severely taxed. In Fig. 4., we have two points, A and B, ten miles apart, horizon- tally situated in the same straight valley, and B 5,280 feet above A, A having an elevation of 1,864 feet above the sea, and B 7,144 feet, a road ten miles long con- necting them would have a grade of one in ten, which is too steep. The length ef the line must, there- fore, be increased. This may be done by running up the valley of the stream to the northwest, as indicated by the dotted line......... A CB, or by turning the line upon itself in a series of zig-zags on the slope of the hill on the cther side, as shown by the continuous line A D B. Both of these expedients are frequently resorted to. Of course, where there is a valley up which the road can be taken according to the first method, it should be taken advantage of, since the sharp turns of the zig-zags are thereby avoided. On the mountain roads of Switzerland, there are many interesting examples of these zig-zags or lacets, (lacings,) as they are called by the French engineers. Frequently, on the steep side of a valley there is no other way of overcoming the ascent, and they must be resorted to. On the Italian side of the Spliigen Pass, the road winds in this way down the almost vertical side of the mountain above the little village of Isella, and the carriage descends rapidly, turning the corners at the end of the zig-zags and swinging backwards and forwards over the valley. On the St. Gothard Pass also, on the Italian side, above the village of Airolo, the road leaves the main valley and runs in the same way up ON ROADS AND BRIDGES. 129° its steep side, crossing in a depression on the top on to a higher ridge, so that, while the carriage winds slowly up the heavy grade, the nim- ble pedestrian can scramble up the hill from angle to angle of the road. and reach the top much sooner. **O’er the Simplon, o’er the Spliigen winds A path of pleasure. Like a silver zone, Hung about carelessly, it shines afar, Catching the eye in many a broken link, In many a turn and traverse as it glides; And oft above and oft’ below appears, Seen o’er the wall by him who journeys up, As if it were another, through the wild Leading along he knows not whence or whither; Yet, though its fairy course go where it will, The torrent stops it not; the rugged rock Opens and lets it in, and on it runs, Winding its easy way from clime to clime, Through glens locked up before.’’* The carriage roads of Switzerland are extremely interesting from the great difficulties which were frequently met in their location, and from the ingenuity with which these difficulties have been overcome, to say nothing of picturesque and in many cases wild scenery by which they are surrounded. The Simplon, built by Napoleon in 1800—1806, M. Ceard chief engi- neer, is the oldest and the most famous of these roads. The length of the mountain division of it, between Brieg and Domo d’ Ossola, is about forty-eight miles, and in this distance there are 611 stone bridges, ten galleries or tunnels, some cut out of the solid rock and others built of masonry, to protect the road against avalanches, besides the retaining walls and other necessary structures along the line. It has a width of twenty-five to thirty feet, a maximum grade of one in twelve, and cost about $25,000 per mile. At one time more than 30,000 men were engaged upon it at the same time. Mont Caris, by the Chevalier Fabbroni; the Spliigen, by Donegani; the St. Gothard, by Miiller; the Bernadin, by Pocobelli; the Stelvie, by Donegani, are all of the same class of roads and are highly interesting to the student of’ engi- neering. Their summits are all more than 6,500 feet above the sea. In this country a very interesting road is now being constructed up one of the flanks of Mount Washington, in New Hampshire. I starts. from the Glen House and keeps a nearly regular grade, with here and there short levels for resting the horses. It winds up the side of the mountain without encountering any great difficulties, and will, when finished, afford an easy carriage route to the sumiit, an elevation of more than 6,000 feet above the sea. * Rogers’ Italy. ) SECOND LECTURE. CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS. Having examined briefly the principles which govern the engineer in determining the general line of a road, we shall now consider the rules to be followed in the construction. In the first place a regular cross section of the road bed is import- ant, with a smooth hard surface, and sufficient width to accommodate the traffic expected. In a new, sparsely settled country, the road should be quite narrow, since it is then much more easily kept in repair; a width of sixteen or eighteen feet is quite sufficient. Near large cities roads should have a width of fifty to sixty feet, or even more. The surface must be such as will remain smooth, and not be easily affected by the weather. If, as is usually the case in new countries, we make use of the material found on the spot, for the road, such as clay, gravel, &c., we may make avery good road by paying strict attention to the drainage. In fact water or dampness is the great enemy of the engineer; it acts in the destruction of the road in three ways. In large quantities, as during heavy rains, it washes the surface of the road into gules, and undermining the banks causes serious and expensive accidents. In smaller quantities it percolates into the material, and converts the earth into a pasty mud, which yields to the horses feet and to the wheels, and sometimes slips out of place, so that an embankment will melt away into a shapeless mound. In winter it freezes and throws up the earth which has been soaked with it to the destruction of the ‘surface of the road. Drainage is then one of the first objects of the engineer. The sur- face water must. be carefully and quickly led away ‘by ample ditches on each side of the road, which turn it into the natural water courses, or discharge it where it can do no harm. These same ditches, when properly placed, and sometimes aided by secondary ones, or by ‘drains, will serve to keep the whole mass of ma- terial dry, and ‘prevent accident from the two other causes mentioned. Almost any material will make a good road if it is properly drained ; all will give trouble if drainage is not attended to. Sand, as we find it in the neighborhood of the sea, is, to a certain extent, an exception to this rule. Every precaution must be taken, therefore, to carry off the water which falls upon the surface. To effect this the road should be slightly sloped transversely from the center each way to throw the water into the ditches. CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS. L3i The old method was to crown the roadway ; that is, to give it a curved section, as shown in Fig. 5, but this is found to be objectionable from 2 the fact that vehicles, in order to avoid Y = the sloping sides, keep in the middle of al” uuu i i the road, and cut it rapidly into ruts; Fig. 5. it is preferred, therefore, to make the cross section with two slopes meeting in the middle, as in Fig. 6, the point being slightly rounded off. In this way the same difference of level be- tween the center and sides may be made, = and the inclination near the side will not Fig. 6. be as great as by the old method.* The general cross section is shown by these figures. In Fig. 5 the ditches or gutters are between the road and the foot paths. There are two objections to this; if the ditch is at all deep, there is some danger of overturning a carriage if the wheel is driven into it, and it is difficult to cross from the foot walk. A better arrangement is shown in Fig. 6, where the ditches are on the outside of the fence or hedge, and the water which falls upon the surface of the road runs into them by drains passing under the foot ath. r In a new country where much labor cannot be spent upon the roads it is sufficient to dig two ditches, about eighteen feet apart, and throw up the earth between them to make the road, taking care to cut off the sod and grub up the bushes from the surface, before laying the earth upon it, so that it may bind well, and not be in danger of slip- ping into the ditch. When the road is higher than the land around it, there is no diffi- culty in draining it, but when it is below the general level, more provision must be made for carrying off the water ; the excavation must be made of sufficient width to contain the road and its two ditches, as shown in Fig. 7; and the road must not be made to serve the purpose of a ditch itself, as is frequently the case—I'ig. 8. If the excavation is very deep, the road may be made rather more narrow at that point. The bottom of the ditches should be at least two feet below the roadway, may be lined with stone, if convenient, and should be kept clean. Stiff clay soils that retain the water, require the most careful drain- age; gravel and sand are more easily kept in order, since the water percolates freely through them. *This slope should be about one fifth of an inch to the foot. It is a mistake to make it much greater. ' 132 LECTURE On a hillside the road should not be crowned, since the water would then run down the slope, and cut it away ; but it should have an inclination towards the hill, as shown in Fig. 9; the ditch should be on the inside, and the water should be led from it by drains wnder the road, at proper intervals. Where there is a choice between the north and south side of a hill or ridge, the south should be preferred, since the road will then dry more ‘quickly, and ice and snow will melt away more rapidly. With the view of exposing the road to the action of the sun, some engineers have opposed the planting of trees along the sides; but the difference in the pleasure and comfort of the traveler, especially in warm climates, is so very great, that a fine row of trees, at least on the south side of a road, must be considered an important addition to it. Such planting may be readily and cheaply done when the road is first built ; and if the proper trees be selected, the expenditure will be amply repaid. In winter, when the action of the sun is desired, the leaves will be off, and deciduous trees should therefore be used ; and in the summer the shade is grateful, and serves to prevent, to some extent, the formation of dust, by keeping the surface slightly damp and break- ing the force of the wind. On all roads footpaths of some kind should be prepared ; and near large cities and through villages they should be on both sides of the road, and should be wide, hard, and smooth. Itisa great outrage that turnpike and plank-road companies should be permitted to occupy public routes, and not be required to provide suitable accommodation for pedestrians. So far we have considered only the way to make a good road of the natural soil of the place, but sometimes the very bad material, or the desire to have a superior road, will induce us to resort to additional means of improvement. For a road covering, we want something which shall make a firm, hard, lasting, but not slippery surface. If it is yielding like India rubber, notwithstanding it may come back to its form after the load has passed over it, its resistance to traction will be considerable, since the wheel will be always in a hollow or depression caused by the weight upon it, out of which it must be lifted. It must be hard, so that it cannot readily be cut into ruts or displaced, but there must be no danger that the animals drawing loads will slip upon it. Loose sand makes one of the worst roads in dry weather ; the wheel displaces it, and is constantly moving in a deep rut with the sand closing over it; the horse, too, becomes much fatigued by sinking into the yielding materi al. On the sea-beach, where the sand is constantly wet from the rise of the tide and the capillary rise of the water between the particles, this same material makes the best road with which we are acquainted, per- fectly smooth, level, with no obstacle of the size of a pea, so hard that the wheels and the horses’ feet scarcely make a mark on it, and yet not in the slightest degree slippery; but such cases are exceptional, ’ ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS. 133 and we must take such roads where we find them; we cannot make them. A clay road, although good for certain short seasons, is usually intolerably dusty in summer and soft and muddy in winter ; conse- quently objectionable. There are also certain swampy, soft soils, over which road building is attended with great difficulties. On the other hand, a road through a gravely soil, if well drained, generally is sufficiently good; and there are certain hard clay slates and shales which make roads of the very best character. When, therefore, weare called upon to improve a road by covering it with some material, we may select gravel, slate, cinder, charcoal, or broken stone. Gravel for this purpose should be neither very clean nor too dirty ; if the former, it will not pack or bind together, but will remain loose and incoherent ; if the latter, it will not drain properly, and will be affected -by moisture and frost. The stone should be angular, rather than round. Slate, furnace cinder, and charcoal can only be procured: in ‘certain localities, and the last is objectionable from the black dust which arises from it; they are all, however, admirable materials, and can be often used with great advantage. Broken stone, which can be had in nearly all localities, is, however, the material most commonly in use. It should be hard, so that the angles of the fragments should not be ground off by the wheels ; the close-grained limestones and most of the porphyritic rocks being well adapted to the purpose. Any stone which is disintegrated by exposure to the weather, should be carefully avoided. The stone should be broken into pieces of such a size that they will pass through a ring two and a half inches in diameter, and as nearly of the same dimensions as pos- sible, uniformity being of great importance. The road having been properly graded, with a slope to both sides as before described, the broken stone must be laid upon it to a depth of from ten to twenty inches, watered a little if the weather is dry, and the traffic of the road permitted to come upon it.’ It should be kept lean, the practice of scattering earth over the surface being especially pernicious, since it prevents the stones from binding well together. .A better and quicker method of causing the stones to bind together is to roll the road with a heavy iron roller, but of course it is more trouble- some and expensive than merely permitting the travel to do it. In the neighborhood of cities especially, where there is much pleasure travel, it may sometimes be a good plan to stone the middle of the road only for a width of about sixteen feet, and leave a soft summer road of clay on each side. The preparation of the road bed to receive this coating of broken stone, has been the subject of discussion between two eminent road- makers in England—Telford and McAdam—and opinion is still divided between the two systems proposed by them, although that of the latter, having the advantage of less first cost, has been most generally adopted. Telford, the engineer of the Holyhead road, thought that the stone should be laid upon a rigid foundation, and he therefore paved his road bed with thin stones set on edge, and laid the covering on that, con- 134 LECTURE sidering that the stones would not in that case be forced out of place into a yielding surface below. McAdam, on the contrary, contended that the road covering thus placed between the wheels and the unyielding pavement would be rapidly ground to pieces, and that an elastic substratum is necessary to prevent such an action ; he, consequently, laid his road covering upon the natural soil. Experience has not shown any great difference in practice, although where first cost is no object, the Telford method is perhaps somewhat preferable. On all stone roads careful attention must be paid to the repairs. The usual way in this country of letting a road get into a bad condition, and then undertaking general repairs, being much to be condemned. The only proper way of keeping a road in good order is by a system of constant repairs; the moment that a rut or a depression is observed, the stones in and around it should be loosened with a pick, and enough fresh stone should be put into it to bring it slightly above the proper’ level, the traffic soon smoothing it down. It is absurd to attempt to mend a road by pouring stone into a deep hollow with smooth hard sides, the stones having nothing to bind to; and when they become wet, they grind each other under the wheels into round pebbles, which never can be made to hold together. No loose stones should be permitted to remain on the surface, where they are exceedingly mischievous, but they should be either promptly put back into the holes from which they came, or thrown on the stone heaps out of the way. Such a supervision and maintenance of the road will be found far more economical and satisfactory than any spasmodic method of repairs can possibly be. A difficult engineering problem has always been to find a good material for city streets. While macadamized roads are admirably suited to the country, they are objectionable in town on account of the dusty or muddy condition into which they invariably fall. Cobble stone and broken stone pavements, as usually laid, are noisy and apt to get out of repair. Those of cut stone, generally known in this country as the Russ pavements, made of cubical blocks, are, perhaps, the worst that have been yet tried; slippery, expensive, and most difficult to repair. It is true that the tractile force required upon them is small, owing to their smooth surface; but this is nearly if not quite counter-. balanced by the extreme difficulty with which the draught animal moves upon it. Any horseman who has ridden over such a pavement, must have noticed that the animal moves as uncomfortably upon it as a pedestrian upon smooth ice, and great fatigue is the consequence of his endeavors to keep his footing, to say nothing of the absolute acci- dents which constantly happen from falls. * In the cities of Italy, (Florence, for example,) which are paved with larger blocks of smooth hard stone, no rider thinks of mounting his horse at his door, but has him led to the city gates to avoid the danger ‘of a fall; and in such streets the carriage horses fall down and get up, as a matter of course, probably not suffering as much as we might sup- pose, since they know how to fall gently from long practice. Iron, cast into various forms, has been tried, but has not come into: general use, owing partly to its expense. ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS. 135 Probably a pavement made of small flat cobble stones, carefully picked and properly set on edge, in a bed of concrete or beton, would be found to be the most satisfactory pavement, until we get some arrangement of iron which will serve a better purpose. Asphalte, a sort of mineral tar, which is found in various localities, has been used with very great success in Paris and in other European cities. It has been employed to a small extent with us, but has not met with so much favor as it deserves, probably owing to the imper- fect manner in which it has been apphed. The asphalte should be melted and mixed with about one half its weight of small clean gravel, and while hot poured upon the surface prepared to receive it, immediately sprinkled with a little sand, and smoothed off with a flat wooden patter or paddle. The mistake which is frequently made in laying it is in providing a hard unyielding sur- face, such as a cobble-stone or brick pavement, on which it is soon worn out. A smooth surface of gravel or sand should be prepared to receive it, or if a more rigid foundation should be required, concrete carefully rammed and smoothed off may be used. When finished, an asphalte pavement presents a smooth, partly elastic, surface, almost lke that of hard India rubber, or of oil cloth, over which the feet of the horses and the wheels of the carriages move almost noiselessly. It presentsa continuous surface without openings and cracks, and being waterproof, is admirably adapted for roadways, or for coverings over stone bridges, for which purpose it has been extensively used. In Paris the sidewalks are almost all made of it, and in front of the Merchants’ Exchange, and several of the theatres, where the noise of passing vehicles would be objectionable, the middle of the street is covered with it. It has also been used in France with considerable success on common roads. Its cost, and a tendency to soften under the intense heat of the summer sun, are the principal objections to its general use. For the pavements of court yards and stables it 1s supe- rior to any other material. A few years ago it was supposed that plank roads, especially in wooded countries, would be found to be very cheap and satisfactory. In many localities they have been used with great success, although the opinion is gaining ground among engineers that they are inferior in every way to good gravel roads, provided that that material can be obtained at any reasonable price. They are usually made by laying two longitudinal sills of timber about six inches square four feet eight inches apart, filling up carefully with earth to their upper surfaces, and then laying three-inch plank of any width upon them. The gen- eral practice is now to lay them at right angles to the line of the road, and not to spike them. Every fifth or sixth plank has its end pushed. out a few inches on alternate sides to make it easy to bring a wagon back on to the planks if it runs off. THIRD LECTURE. BRIDGES—BEAMS. Bridges are the structures used by the engineer to carry a road over streams or dry ravines. They are necessarily structures, with open- ings beneath, of greater or less size, and portions of them at least myst be adapted to carry a load over a space. The solidity of such structures depends upon the cohesion of the materials composing them, or, in other words, upon the strength of the materials, their resistance to compression or extension. When we extend a piece of any material, we draw the particles of it further apart than they are in the normal condition ; and when we crush it, we force them into closer contact. These are direct strains, and can be readily made the subjects of experi- ment. To determine the tensile strength of wrought-iron, we have only to prepare a rod of any known section—say one square inch—and fastening it by one end in a vertical position, hang weights to the other end untilit gives way. In this case all the fibres in it are equally subjected to the strain, and if we double the section, we may double the weight which it carried before. The strength is directly propor- tional to the section, and the calculations for any weight are of the simplest nature. The same remarks apply to the crushing weight determined by subjecting a cube of the material of known section to the action of a weight tending to crush it directly. When, however, we come to the consideration of the strength of materials in other forms, and in positions where the direction of the force does not coincide with the axis of symmetry, we shall find that the investigations become much more complicated, and that direct experi- ments must be applied through some general law to special cases. The most natural way to span an opening of moderate width is evi- dently to throw across it a beam of such length that its extremities will rest upon the sides of the opening. The rudest bridge is a tree felled so as to lie across a stream. Now, in a beam in this position, and of equal size throughout, we shall find that the fracture, from too great a load distributed over it, will be in the middle; and that if the section of the fracture be examined, it will give evidence of different kinds of forces having been in action at that point. It is, perhaps, simpler in the beginning to consider half of the beam, and to determine what are the strains which are caused by the appli- cation of a load. If we have a beam firmly fixed at one end in an unyielding wall, and loaded at the other end as in Fig. 10, we will find it first bend as in Fig. 11; and then, as the load is increased, break at or near the point of support A C. Fig. 10. Galileo, who investigated this, noticed that, BRIDGES—BEAMS. 13% in order to change its shape, as in Fig. 11, the side A B must become longer than C D, and he supposed that all the fibres above C D were extended by the action of the weight, and that the tensile strength of the material was alone called into action. Itis evident, upon reflection, however, that if the material is at all compressible, that the fibres along C D, in the giving way, will be compressed. Mariotte first suggested this, but very vaguely. James Bernoulli afterwards examined the subject, and pointed out the fact clearly, and indicated the position of the neutral axis. If in the Figs. 10 and 11 the upper fibres are extended, and the lower ones compressed, there will evidently be a line along which the parti- cles will suffer neither extension or compression ; and this line is called the neutral axis. If the material is able to resist compression and extension equally well, the neutral axis will bein the middle. If it is readily extended, and resists compression, the neutral exis will be near to the compressed side, and vice versa. As before stated, the beam will bend before it breaks, and the amount of this bending is important, partly because in many structures great stiffness is necessary, and we should know how to attain it, and partly because it is found that any bending after a certain amount, is injurious to the beam, although the weight applied may not have been sufficient to break it at the time. The distance that the point of the beam sinks below the horizontal line is called the deflection, and it can only be determined by experi- ment upon the different materials, although we may deduce the general laws which govern it. The formula by which the law of deflection is expressed, is as follows: Fig. 11. Where D is the deflection, W the weight, 7 the length of the beam, b the breadth, and d the depth, ¢ is a constant, determined by ex- periment. That the deflection should be directly as the weight, that is, that if we double the weight we will double the deflection, need hardly be demonstrated. That the deflection is as the cube of the length is not quite so obvious. We must remember that the effect of any force or weight does not depend simply upon its amount, but also upon the distance of the point of application from the fixed point, upon its leverage, or, as it is properly called in mechanics, its moment. Now, when we in- crease the length of the beam, the weight remaining the same, we in- crease the moment of the weight, and therefore its deflecting power; the length, therefore, comes into the expression in that way, once. Again, as the extension of the upper side is due to the increased distance between the particles with any particular strain, if there are more particles there will be greater extension, and so/ comes again into the expression. Lastly, the angle of the deflection being the 138 LECTURE same, the actual deflection increases with the length, and so it comes in again, giving us 7°. In the denominator of the fraction, the deflection with the same weight will be diminished as the breadth is increased, simply because there will be more material to resist, disposed in exactly the same position as before; but when we increase the depth we diminish the deflection, not only by adding material, (d,) but by adding it at a greater distance from the neutral axis, so that it acts with a greater moment to resist the separating action of the weight. Thirdly. The amount of separation of the particles at the surface being the same, the deflection will be less as the depth is increased, owing to the angle of deflection being smaller; therefore, the deflection will be inversely, as d°. Although we have only considered the upper surface, the same reasoning will apply to the compressed side. The strength of the beam will also depend upon its proportions, but not exactly in the same way. It may be thus expressed : b d? Streneth) ——¢ rength =e 7, It will evidently depend directly upon the breadth or the amount of material; and if we increase the depth we not only add material, but we add it at such points, far from the neutral axis, that it will have a greater moment, and therefore give us that advantage also, whence we have d?, . In the denominator, the strength will be inversely as the length, since increase of length will give the weight additional moment, and it will be less as the weight increases, obviously. The angular deflection, which gave us one / and one d, and the in- creased number of particles, which gave us another J, in the first ex- pression, do not come into this one at all, as a careful consideration of the subject will show. Again, since the tendency to break at any point with a weight, in- creases with the distance of the weight from that point, such a beam will break at the wall, and if it is strong enough there, it is unneces- sarily strong at all other points of its length, and we may econom- ically taper it off to the end in the forms shown in Figs. 12 and 13, Fig. 12 Fig. 13. where Fig. 12 is a beam loaded with a weight uniformly distributed, and Fig. 13 one loaded at the end, the under side in this case having the form of a parabola. In engineering structures, such beams supported only at one end do not frequently occur, and we must, therefore, consider how our expres- sions already deduced, must be changed to apply to beams supported at both ends and loaded in the middle. Such a beam may be considered as fastened in the middle and acted upon by two forces, acting upwards at its two ends. ‘ON BRIDGES—BEAMS. 139 In this case the lower side will be extended and the upper side com- pressed, as in Fig. 14. Fig. 14. We found that while, if we added material to a beam, so as to increase its breadth, we only gained so much strength as was due to the greater number of particles; if we added to the depth we not only increased the number of particles, but also their moment, and thus gained a double advantage. We should, therefore, in designing a beam, make it’as deep and as thin as is practically possible, if we wish to economise material. The importance of this may be tested by comparing the stiffness and strength of an ordinary joist when laid on its side or on its edge across an opening. Now, we cannot in practice reduce the breadth beyond a certain limit, since our beam would twist and fail from that cause, but, since the advantage is gained by disposing the material at a distance from the neutral axis, we may make our beam with a flange at the top and bottom, which will insure that result and give lateral stiffness at the same time. Fig. 15 shows the cross section of a beam so made. The material in the flanges A B and C D acts with a moment due to its distance from the neutral axis G, and the material in the web, as it is called, serves merely to keep the flanges together. In a beam made to bear pressure equally from all sides as a straw, the material may be entirely withdrawn from the centre and disposed in a circle around the neutral axis, forming a tube or pipe, which is much stronger than it would be if the same amount of material composing it were disposed in a solid cylinder. If the material of the beam resists extension and compression equally well, the two flanges should be of the same size, but if not, they must be unequal, to give each the share of the strain which it can bear. Thus, a cast-iron beam with equal flanges will break always upon the lower or extended side, since the material resists com- pression well but extension badly; and Mr. Eaton Hodg- kinson, who experimented largely on beams, succeeded, by gradually increasing the lower flange, in making one which was equally strong at the top and bottom. In this the bottom flange had six times the area of the upper one, (see Fig. 16,) and this is the form now adopted for cast-iron beams. : On the other hand, wrought iron does not resist a compressive strain as well as it does one of extension, and in a beam of this material the He flange should have an area nearly twice that of the bottom ange. 140 LECTURE In later examples of wrought iron beams rolled in one piece, the two flanges are made of the same size, to avoid warping in cooling, but in beams made of pieces riveted together, this proportion should be observed. A wrought-iron beam may be modified in another way. It is sometimes advisable to divide the web into two plates, putting one on each side, as in Fig. 17, and then we have the box form, identical in principle with the usual form, but in some cases more convenient to manufacture, and possessing more lateral stiffness. The flanges themselves may be made of several parts, and made even tubular, as we shall see in the description of the Britannia bridge in a succeeding lecture. So far we have only considered cases in which the web is a solid plate, but it will frequently be desirable, and often necessary, to make the web of pieces, or to frame it; if we use wood this can hardly be avoided. We must be able to arrange the parts in such a way as to insure strength and stiffness, with economy of material, for we shall thus not only save in first cost, but relieve the structure of much dead weight of material which would only load it to its injury. In using any material in the form of rods or posts we must endeavor to direct the strain through the axis of the piece, since all material bears a direct strain of compression or extension better than any other. If a piece of timber projecting from a wall, as A B, in Fig. 18, is to be strengthened so as to support a weight, W, we can best do it by putting an inclined piece under it, with its lower end, C, fastened firmly in the wall. Now the triangle is the only straight sided figure, the angles of which cannot be altered without changing the length of the sides, and the point D can- Fig. 18. not sink unless A draws out of the wall, or C D be- comes shorter, since we have supposed the end, C, to be immovable. If it should not be convenient to place a brace under the beam, we may supstitute for it a tie or ten- sion rod above it, as in Fig. 19; this tie will be sub- jected to a tensile strain only, and may therefore be a rod of wrought iron, or even a rope or chain. If we have, therefore, to construct a simple bridge over a stream, the width of which is too great to permit us to use a single beam, which would deflect ‘too much, or perhaps break, we may w z shorten the actual span of the beam by introducing braces or struts, as in Fig. 20, where the clear span of the y beam is reduced, from A B to C D, the points Cand D being firmly supported YA YL Y Oa tj Uti Y Fig. 20. by C Eand D F. If, for any reason, it is not convenient to have such framing wader « ON BRIDGES—BEAMS. 141 the bridge, we can put it above by a simple change, as in Fig. 21, where the point C is firmly fixed by the braces A C and C B, and there- Cc fore the centre point of the beam, A D, may be suspended from C by the tie rod C D, thus changing the long span, A B, into two short ones, A D and D B. Again, if we find that A C and C B are so long as to be too flexi- ble, we may support their center points by additional braces, D E and DF, Fig. 22; Bt i thus firmly fixing the points E and fF, and et should A D and D B te too weak they can Na. be supported from the fixed points H and “ e H e F by tie rods EK Gand F H. So we arrive by this simple process at a form which is comparatively complex. If it is desirable to make use of a material like wrought iron for stiffening, since it is peculiarly adapted to bear tensile strain, we may make use of it in a most economical : F manner. In Fig. 23 we have a beam, : A B, trussed, as it is termed, by the age, \ T= iron rod, A DB, which passes under "D a post or strut, C D; now it will be im- esta possible, when all the parts are tight, for the point C to sink without the lines A D and B D becoming longer. Since the strain upon the tie in this case is a direct tensile strain each fibre will be made to bear its share of the load, and it will be a very economical mode of using our material. We may modify this in such a way as to show that the strain upon such a tie is precisely the same as on the lower edge of a beam. Let us suppose, in Fig. 24, that the strut 4 B is made so short as to disappear, and permit SSS the rod to touch the beam throughout its Fig. 24. whole length, it will still act as the tie in Fig. 23, but with diminished effect, owing to its being nearer to the neutral axis, and the moment of the resistance of its fibres being therefore less. This mode of strengthening a beam issome- [———___]._ _——_ ] times resorted to in carpentry; but that shown Pig. 25. in Fig. 23 or Fig. 25 is preferable. If the distance between A C to C B, in Fig. 28, is so great as to cause flexure of those parts of the beam, we may truss them again by an intermediate strut and tie, as in Fig. 26, in which the points EK and I are supported in this way. Many roofs are constructed on this plan, and up to very large spans it is the most simple and economical arrangement of wood and iron that can be made for the purpose. . Since, in a roof, the principal rafters are inclined, we shall have the Fig. 21. D Fig. 22. 142 LECTURE arrangement shown in Fig. 27, in which the tie A C is added, to pre- vent the roof from spreading and pushing out the walls. B Fig. 27. There are"innumerable forms of roofs, some entirely of wood, others entirely of iron, others mixed, which take different forms, as the braces are made either to resist compression or extension, for, as we have seen in Figs. 18 and 19, we may always substitute for a tensible brace one which acts as a strut. All well designed roof trusses will, however, bear the test of an analysis, based on the principles just enunciated. One more example may be given in which this simple form of truss is extended to adapt it to the heaviest bridges with great success. The iron bridges on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and else- where, known as Bollman’s bridges, are made, as shown in Fig. 28, where the struts ed ef g hi, and the tie rods belonging to them, sup- port the beam A B at these points. In an improvement by Fink, shown in Fig. 29,the tie rods on each side of each strut are of the same length, and therefore equally effected by changes of temperature, which is an important matter, since in Fig. 28 the struts near the ends are subjected to side strains from the unequal changes of length of the rods. This arrangement of Fink’s permits, moreover, the use of much lighter tie rods for the lesser parts of the system, as indicated in the figure, and no more material is there- fore used than is absolutely necessary. “LL Fig. 29. ON BRIDGES—BEAMS. 143 FOURTH LECTURE. BRIDGES AND BEAMS. [ConTINvED. ] The forms of triangular framing that we have noticed are not suited to all cases, and we return to the double-flanged beam, and consider its application to long spans. There are certain limits which cannot be passed in making beams in a single piece, and recourse must be had to some arrangement of connected pieces, which will be economical and effective. If we use boiler plate we may make a composite beam of the same form as the simple ones already described, as in Fig. 30, =zgqyzz the web being still a thin flat plate, and the flanges being a formed by riveting angle irons to it. In cast iron this would be hardly practicable, owing to the difficulty of cast- ing a thin plate of any great size. In wood it would be | entirely impracticable with any regard to economy of mate- 22.3 rial. As stated before, the web may be separated into two plates, and the flanges made cellular ; but we may go further, and, retaining the flanges, connect them by an open web, in which the material shall be so disposed as to resist strains under the best possible conditions. In a beam thus made, we have atop and bottom chord or flange, connected by pieces of timber reaching from one to the other. If these pieces or posts are disposed, as in Fig. 31, they will not serve to e Heil a b Fig. 31. Fig. 32. connect the chords properly, since a weight applied will cause the structure to deflect, as in Fig. 32, the posts merely transmitting a portion of the strain to the lower chord, and the whole system having no more strength than it would have possessed had the posts been omitted, and the beam made of depth equal to the sum of that of the two chords, while we desire to take advantage of the distance between the chords to give greatly increased stiffness and strength. The shape of the spaces or bays is evidently altered by the deflec- tion in Fig. 32 from rectangles, asin Fig. 31, to rhomboids, the two diagonals of which are not equal. Now the rectangle a b ¢ d cannot change into the rhomboid a! b! ¢ d’, without ¢ b becoming shorter, and adlonger. It, therefore, we can prevent such change of length, we can preserve the shape of the figure, and prevent the sinking of the 144 LECTURE point b. To do this we may either introduce a strut, ¢ b, or a tie, a d,as in Figs. 18 and 19. If we use a strut or wooden brace, we shall have the arrangement shown in Fig. 33. AAA NS Fig. 33. In this arrangement the beam cannot assume the shape shown in Fig. 32, without its diagonals becoming shorter; and since the braces are in the most favorable position for resisting—that is, with the strain acting in the direction of their length—a small amount of mate- rial will do a great deal of work. If it is desirable to use an iron tie instead of a wooden brace, we shall have the form shown in Fig. 34. NNW Fig. 34. For any beam or truss, which is only intended to bear a constant and quiet weight, this bracing is sufficient, but if the load is variable and passing, as in the case of a railroad bridge, something more is needed. In a structure of considerable length, the effect of the load at any point between the centre and the end will be to cause a rise of the cor- responding point on the other side of the centre ; and since the braces are not calculated to prevent such a rise, oscillations will take place which may soon destroy the structure. Such arise at any point can only take place by a change in the shape of the rectangle; and if, therefore, we introduce another brace in the direction of the other diagonal, we shall prevent change of figure in either direction. DDSx = OE Fig. Jo. In Fig. 35 we have such an arrangement. Such braces are called counter braces, and since the strain upon them is a secondary one, and always small, they may be made much lighter than the main braces. A little consideration will show that ties may be substituted for struts in a variety of ways, and vice versa. For instance, in Fig. 33, the addition of ties running in the same diagonal as the struts will counter brace the truss, and in Fig. 34, the counter braces may be light struts in the same diagonal as the ties. Again, we may do all the bracing by ties, as in Fig, 35, or we may use struts for both braces, ON BRIDGES—BEAMS. 145 and put vertical ties in the place of the posts, the resistance of both sets of braces serving the purpose of the posts. We must always bear the principle, however, carefully in mind, and not make the mistake of causing a strut to be exposed to a tensile strain, or a tie to a strain of compression. It will be seen in Figs. 33 and 34 that the braces are always dis- posed to support a weight at the central point of the truss, and it is evident that if we cut a girder of this sort into two pieces, they will not serve as two shorter beams, since in each one half of the braces will be in the wrong diagonal of the rectangles. Although this seems simple enough, it is sometimes not understood in practice. In the lecturer’s practice he has seen an iron roof which was in such a posi- tion that it could only be sloped one way; that is, it was a lean-to roof, and the builder had copied one half of a very good iron roof truss for his half span, the consequence being that the tie rods near the high side of the roof became struts, and being too flexible to resist.a a compressive strain they gave way under a weight of snow, and the roof sank in. The story is also told of a certain double-pitched roof of an English railway station, that, during the absence of the chief engineer of the road, some wise man connected with the management proposed to strengthen it by putting a row of columns under it down the centre. His advice was adopted, and in the act of wedging the columns up to sustain the weight the roof fell in, much to the astonishment of the sagacious designer. It is evident that by means of the braces and ties we have consid- erable control over the form of the beam, even after it is up, and it is usual to give a bridge a shght cumber or curvature upwards, to insure that it shall not settle in time or under a passing load below the hori- zontal line. For this reason iron ties in at least one direction are convenient, since the screws and nuts by which they are fastened pro- vide a simple means of adjustment, while the wedges that must be used in a structure entirely of wood are less easily managed. Care must be taken in designing a beam that there is no more material used than is necessary, such excess being worse than a waste, since it increases the load which the beam has to bear. Dr. Young called attention to the fact that, besides the tensional strain below the neutral surface and the compressive strain above it, there was a vertical strain existing near the ends, and diminishing towards the middle, which he called the shearing strain. The weight of the beam tends to shear off the fibres immediately over the point of support just aS a bar of metal is cut ina shearing machine. Before this was understood, engineers were astonished to find that bridges, the parts of which had been carefully calculated, sometimes failed near the abutments while retaining their form towards the centre, and now the posts and braces are made stronger near the abutments, or addi- tional struts, called arch braces, are inserted. In cast-iron beams with a plate web, it is proper to thicken the web near the points of support to resist this strain. Care must be taken in deciding upon the proportions of the posts and braces that their section is not only great enough to enable them 10 146 LECTURE to resist the direct crushing strain, but that it is sufficiently great, compared with their length, to avoid a sidewise flexure and conse- quent failure. Hodgkinson, in his elaborate experiments, has shown that, in practice, when the length of a post is less than thirty times its diameter it is not apt to break without it is absolutely crushed; but in such cases the ends should be square and well fitted, and the strain should be central, and not on one side. Posts with rounded ends are much weaker than those with flat ones. When a post, subjected to an axial crushing strain, is inclined, as in the case of a main brace in a bridge truss, we must bear in mind that its deflection from its own weight will tend to weaken it as a strut, since it commences the flexure to the side which is the ultimate cause of the failure of a strut. For this reason, if the cross section of such a strut is not a square, and if the length is at all great, the sreatest side of the cross section should be vertical, as in the case of a beam or joist. Ifa timber strut seems to be too flexible it may be much stiffened without adding much to its weight by spiking to the upper or-lower side a jim of narrow plank, deep in the middle and tapering off towards the ends. Cast-iron struts should either be tubular or have a cruciform section, as in Fig. 36, so that the material being disposed at the greatest distance from the neutral axis may act with the greatest effect in preventing what we may call the initial flexure. Wrought iron may be used in both these forms with great economy of material, a piece of ordinary gas pipe forming the best of struts, and the cruciform section being readily got in the rolls of the mill. In fact these remarks apply to all pieces subjected to a com- pressive strain, such as posts, struts, and the upper chords of framed beams or bridges, the tubular or the cruciform section being necessary where economy of material and lightness of the structure are desired. Since, in practice, it is not always convenient or possible to span a chasm by one single beam, intermediate supports (piers) must be made use of, and, in an iron structure at least, advantage may be taken of them to assist in relieving the strain at other points of the beam beside those immediately over them. If the spaces are spanned by unconnected beams, as in Fig. 37, each one will act independently, as Fig. 36. A B C - D A a. : Zi 2 V//, TZ Fig. 37. there shown, but if the whole beam is continuous, as in Fig. 38, it will behave differently. Vy x NYY N XS W \S Hy Fig. 38. If, by any means, in Fig. 37, we were to raise the middle points of the deflecting beams into a straight line the triangular spaces between ON BRIDGES—DEAMS, 147 their ends would close up, and the upper edges would touch. Now if, when in this condition, we unite in any firm way these upper edges, when we take away the support from below, the beams cannot sink to their original position, since the triangular spaces cannot open, and the tensional strain thus brought upon the upper edge over the pier will tend to neutralize the compressive strain always. existing on the upper edge ofa beam. In a wrought-iron structure this may be very easily done by raising the ends A and C until the gap at B is closed, and then riveting the upper plates together. Upon letting the ends A and C down again the deflection between them is diminished. This was most successfully done in the case of the great Britannia ‘Bridget (: Professor Gillespie has determined that with a flexible beam on three supports, each support bears the portion of a uniformly distrib- uted load indicated by the fractions in Fig. 39, and on four supports as in Vig. 40. Fig. 40. It is evident that a flexible beam with a uniformly distributed load may be so placed on four supports that two of them will not bear any part of the weight, as in Vig. 41. Fig. 41. A few words upon the practical considerations involved in the use of iron in engineering structures, will not, perhaps, be amiss. In this country where timber is abundant, and labor and carriage dear, wood has been used to a great extent for bridges, and when iron has been resorted to, wrought has usually been preferred. In England, however, where the engineering taste is decidedly for the ponderous, cast iron has been used to a considerable extent, and ample opportu- nity has been afforded for a comparison of its merits with those of wrought iron. Cast iron is crystalline, hard, brittle, and non-elastic ; it bears a crushing strain up to from 80,000 to 100,000 pounds per square inch, and a tensile strain of about 15,000 pounds.* Its principle advantage is the ease with which it can be cast into ‘any required form, and for heavy masses, or for pieces of nearly equal *Eaton Hodgkinson. 148 LECTURE dimensions each way, or for posts subjected only to a statical strain, it is admirably adapted. For beams, or portions of beams, especially where it will be subjected to varying strains, to vibrations, ‘and to the action of intense cold, it should be used with extreme caution. When a single casting has some portions much thicker than others, most dangerous strains are induced by unequal cooling and contrac- tion; parts being in this way subjected to tensions, which a small added load will render sufficient to cause total destruction of the cast- ing. Square corners and square openings in a casting are peculiarly dangerous in this respect, and should be most carefully avoided. Again, i in a casting which is somewhat irregular, bubbles of air are apt to be entangled, and they cause holes or flaws, which frequently cannot be detected on the outside, even by the aid of the hammer. The iron being deficient at these points in the cross section, weakness is the result. , Under a sharp sudden blow cast iron breaks instead of bending, and great cold seems to render it brittle. Wrought iron, either hammered or rolled, is tough, elastic, and homogeneous, and resists sudden blows and vibrations much better than cast. It bears a crushing strain up to 60,000 pounds per square inch, and a tensile strain of about the same. In practice it has been found necessary to give the upper flange about twice the area of the lower one, since a thin wrought-iron flange, being soft, yields by buckling, although its resistance. to compr ession per square inch of section, is nearly “equal to, or, perhaps, a little greater than its resistance to extension. As I have elsewhere stated, “beams are now rolled in this country in one piece, with the two flanges of equal areas, and with care in proportioning them, this is an economical form. Since wrought iron is brought to its form by hammering or rolling, there can be no flaws in it from air bubbles or similar causes, except in the very rare case of some foreign matter being inclosed by accident in the mass. For the same streneth as a beam it has less than half the weight of cast iron, an important consideration in very large struc- tures, of the foundations of which the slightest suspicions are enter- tained. Its superior elasticity enables it to resist sudden shocks, or the strains caused by the unequal settling of adjacent parts, and its tough- ness, enables us to make fastenings to resist a tensional strain with great facility. Fairbairn has shown that, at English prices, a wrought-iron beam, to sustain a given weight, can be made for nearly the same price as one of cast iron, with the advantage of much less weight. His state- ment is as follows: Cast-iron beam, 31 feet 6 inches long, 22 inches deep, weighs 4,480 POMING Saree Hee 250. EE Pe Meas ae ne a te $65 00 Wrought-iron beams, 31 feet 6 inches long, 22 inches deep, weighs 1,834 pounds A Ma 1 PERNA Meal $65 50 To bear a weight of 25.5 tons in middle, or 55 tons distributed uni- ON BRIDGES—BEAMS. 149 formly over it. Ifa great number of such beams were to be raised to a considerable height, the small difference would probably be in favor of the wrought iron. In cases therefore where a portion of the structure is much elevated, where it is desirable to reduce the load on the foundations, and espe- cially where wrought iron, in its simpler forms, as in tubes, bars, rods, and plates, can be used, this material is entitled to a decided prefer- ence over cast metal, and it will undoubtedly come gradually in gen- eral use. The most interesting case of a large wrought-iron beam, in a scien- tific point of view, which we have on record, is that of the Britannia Tubular Bridge, built over the Menai straits, for the Chester and Holyhead railway, in 1849, by Robert Stephenson, C. E. Certain restrictions imposed by the Admiralty upon the construc- tion of a bridge over this strait, induced Mr. Stephenson to decide upon some form of beam which could be built on the shore, and then raised into its place at an elevation of over one hundred feet—an ope- ration which will be referred to in a succeeding lecture. The span of the longest beam was to be 460 feet. At that time Mr. Stephenson, in common with the rest of the pro- fession in England, considered the suspension bridge as a structure entirely unsuited for railway purposes, and he was therefore required to devise a bridge necessarily different from any existing examples. After having abandoned the idea of a cast-iron arched bridge of pecu- lar construction, he supposed that a wrought-iron hollow beam or tube might be made, supported by chains at the central point, and he called to his aid Mr..William Fairbairn, an engineer already much distinguished for his various experiments on materials of construction. Mr. Fairbairn undertook at once an extended series of experimental investigations, beginning with the circular and elliptical tubes sug- gested by Mr. Stephenson. Although direct experiment on small pieces had shown, as already stated, that the resistance of wrought iron to compression was about the same as to extension, these experiments soon showed that the upper surface of the beams failed first, from a buckling or crimping of the iron, owing to its flexibility, and pointed out the necessity for an increase of material in the top. In short, a large number of experiments induced Mr. Fairbairn to recommend the form of beam af- terwards adopted ; a section of which is shown in Fig. 42, where the material in the upper side bears to that in the lower the proportion of 565 to 500, and is so disposed to resist the crushing strain to the best advantage. The cells or divisions shown in the figure are made by introducing vertical iron plates, and riveting to the horizontal plates through angle irons in the corners, thus forming an upper flange; which, as shown by the experiments, would bear, without buckling, a strain approaching to the experimental crushing strain of wrought iron. The bottom of the bridge, since it resists only a 150 LECTURE ON BRIDGES—BEAMS. direct tensile strain, or acts as a chain, need not be cellular ; and, ina later example, by the same engineer—the Victoria bridge over the St. Lawrence river—the bottom is composed of plates riveted closely upon each other without cells, and the cells of the top are replaced by ver- tical fins, which serve the same purpose. In the Britannia beam the sides are quite thin, serving only to con- nect the upper and lower flanges, and they are stiffened by fins of T iron riveted vertically over the joints. Near the ends of the beam the sides are additionally strengthened to provide against the shearing strain. To avoid change of figure laterally by the action of the wind, tri- angular plates are fixed at the top and bottom, as shown in the figure. Further details in regard to this beam, and the description of the man- ner of raising it, will be given in the next lecture. [The remainder of the lectures of this course will be given in the appendix to the next annual report. | LECTURES ON MOLLUSCA; OR “SHELL-FISH” AND THEIR ALLIES. PREPARED FOR THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, BY PHILIP P. CARPENTER, B. A., Ph. D., OF WARRINGTON, ENGLAND. Who has not admired the beauty of shells?—the rich luster of the Cowries; the glossy polish of the Olives; the brilliant painting of the Cones; the varied layers of the Cameos; the exquisite nacre of Mother- of-pearl? Who has not listened to the mysterious ‘‘sound of the sea’’ in the Whelks and Helmets, or wondered at the many chambers of the Nautilus? What child ever went to the sea shore without picking up shells; or what lady ever spurned them as ornaments of her parlor? Shells are at once the attraction of the untutored savage, the delight of the refined artist, the wonder of the philosophic zoologist, and the most valued treasures of the geologist. They adorn the sands of sea- girt isles and continents now; and they form the earliest ‘‘ footprints of the sands of time’ in the history of our globe. The astronomer, wandering through boundless space with the grandest researches of his intellect, and the most subtle workings of his analysis, may imagine, indeed, the history of past time and speculate on the formation of globes; but his science presents us with no records of the past. But the geologist, after watching the ebb of the ocean tide, examines into the soil on the surface of the earth and finds in it a book of chronicles, the letters of which are not unknown hieroglyphics, but familiar shells. He writes the history of each species, antedating by millions of years the first appearance of man upon this planet, the abrasion of the Mis- sissippi Valley, or the roar of the Niagara at Queenston Heights. He searches deeper and deeper into the rocky crust of the globe, still find- ing the same types in older characters. As he climbs the rocks of Trenton or Montmorenci, he treads on the tide-ripples, the rain drops, the trails of living creatures in the ancient Silurian sea, which he in- terprets by the Rosetta Stone of Chelsea Beach or Charleston Harbor ; and as he reverently unlocks the dark recesses which contain the tradi- tions of the early ages, between the dead igneous rocks and the oceanic deposits which entomb the remains of life, the first objects which meet his gaze are the remains of a thin, horny shell, so like those now living in the Atlantic and Pacific waters, that the ‘‘footprint’’ enables him to reconstruct a Brachiopod with delicate ciliated arms and com- 152 LECTURES ON MOLLUSCA. plex organization, such as is figured in the beautiful works of Owen and Davidson, from dissections of the existing species. For be it observed that shells are not things without life, as they are often taken to be by thoughtless admirers. Nor are they simply the habitations of ‘‘shell fish,’’ as ordinary observers consider them. It is common to regard the snail-shell as the house which the creature has made and carries on its back, having a relation to the animal inhabit- ant analagous to that of the coccoon to the chrysalis or the nest to the bird. Even viewed in this light, shells would be most interesting ob- jects of study; representing the different styles of architecture invented by these insignificant mechanics. Such appears to have been the way in which the great Linneus regarded them; for he described the ani- mals under other names than those of the shells. Indeed, he appears to have considered the houses of far more importance than their inhab- itants ; for, while he divided the shells into genera and species, he was content to group all the living inhabitants under five names, saying in the description of each genus ‘‘ Animal a Clio,”’ &c.* Even in his error, however, the great Father of Natural History showed his close discernment; for these five divisions correspond almost exactly to the classes afterwards prepared by Cuvier, and now generally adopted. Let it be distinctly understood, therefore, at the outset, that shells are truly organic structures, part and parcel of the living animal, as truly as the nails of man, the plumage of birds, the armor of arma- dilloes and crocodiles, the scales and cartilage of fishes, or the shell of the sea urchin. They are more truly part of the living inhabitant than the skin of caterpillars or the shell of crabs, inasmuch as they are not periodically cast off, but remain, as the hardened skin of the creature, during its whole period of existence. To collect and arrange shells, therefore, bears the same relation to science as to collect and arrange stuffed birds and beasts; in either case we know only a part of the peculiarities of the animal. The mere museum-student would not know the porpoise to be a mammal; nor discriminate the manatee as being an abnormal pachyderm; nor observe the wide separation be- tween the horse and the hoofed ruminants. So the mere conchologist would associate the Wendletrap with the top-shells, the nerites with the Naticas, the Cerithiums with the whelks, &c., not knowing that the animals are structurally as much unlike as the mammals just mentioned. It is absurd, therefore, to study shells without examina- tion of the soft parts of the animals; while, to study the soft parts alone, without regard to the differences in the shells, would be like endeavoring to classify the cat-tribe from examination of tigers, pan- thers, &c., which had been previously skinned. No one despises a collection of stuffed birds because so few of the creatures have been dissected; so we ought not to despise the study of shells because we know so little of their inhabitants. But the bird skin tells us much more about the bird than does the shell about the “