ADVERTISEMENT. The present series, entitled "Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections," is intended to embrace all the publications issued directly by the Smithsonian Institution in octavo form; those in quarto constituting the "Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge." The quarto series includes memoirs embracing the records of extended original investigations and researches resulting in what are believed to be new truths, and constituting positive additions to the sum of human knowledge. The octavo series is designed to contain reports on the present state of our knowledge of particular branches of science; instructions for collecting and digesting facts and materials for research; lists and synopses of species of the organic and inorganic world; museum catalogues; reports of explorations; aids to bibliographical investigations, etc., generally prepared at the express request of the Institution, and at its expense. The position of a work in one or the other of the two series will sometimes depend upon whether the required illustrations can be presented more conveniently in the quarto or the octavo form. In the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, as well as in the present series, each article is separately paged and indexed, and the actual date of its publication is that given on its special title page, and not that of the volume in which it is placed. In many cases, works have been published, and largely distributed, years before their combination into volumes. While due care is taken on the part of the Smithsonian Institution to insure a proper standard of excellence in its publications, it will be readily understood that it cannot hold itself responsible for the facts and conclusions of the authors, as it is impossible in most cases to verify their statements. SPENCER F. BAIRD, ر ADVERTISEMENT. The Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution in January, 1878, requested its Secretary to prepare and publish a history of its origin and progress, such as he was pre-eminently qualified to furnish. The materials necessary for this purpose had in part been brought together, when the death of Professor Henry, on the 13th of May, prevented the carrying out of the original plan. As the documents collected are necessary to any future historian of the Institution, Mr. Wm. J. Rhees, who had been entrusted by Professor Henry with their selection, was requested by the Chancellor, Chief Justice Waite, to continue the work, and the present volume is the result of his labors. In this will be found the Will of Smithson, all the Congressional debates and legislation relative to the bequest, and many documents which could probably only have been brought to light by one perfectly familiar with the operations of the Institution, Mr. Rhees having been associated with Professor Henry, as its Chief Clerk, for more than twenty-five years. The amount of labor in the preparation of this volume, was very great, as all the data were procured from original sources. Manuscripts and documents were consulted in the Department of State, Treasury Department, the Capitol, and elsewhere; and every page of the voluminous records of the proceedings of Congress for more than forty years was carefully examined so that an account of everything relating to the Institution could be presented. WASHINGTON, April, 1879. SPENCER F. BAIRD, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. |
