building. By this arrangement the interesting fact could be stated that, after all the Institution has done in the way of increasing and diffusing knowledge, the entire sum derived from the bequest of Smithson is still undiminished in the treasury of the United States.

The Chancellor recommended that the sum thus added to the money now in the treasury of the United States should be sufficient to make up the amount to $550,000.

On motion of Mr. Wallach, it was

Resolved, That the Secretary be directed to apply to Congress for an act by which the residuary legacy of James Smithson, now in the possession of the Secretary of the Treasury, amounting to $26,210 63, be added to the sum originally received; and that also from the income of the above-mentioned residuary legacy the further sum of $8,620 37 be added, making the total amount deposited in the treasury of the United States $550,000 as the trust fund, the interest on which alone is to be applied to the maintenance and uses of the Institution; and further, that the Regents be authorized to apply the remainder of the income of the residuary legacy to the current expenses of the Institution and the reconstruction of the building.

The Secretary stated that at the last annual session of the Board the disposal of the State stocks held by the Institution was left to the discretion of the Chancellor, Secretary, and Executive Committee; it having been found that it was not necessary, in order to meet the expenditures on the building during the year, to make a sale, it had been concluded not to dispose of these stocks, it being thought that the value of those of Virginia and Tennessee would increase, and that the accumulated interest due would in time be paid.

On motion of Mr. Garfield, it was

Resolved, That the Secretary present a statement at the next meeting of the value of the State stocks held by the Institution.

In the absence of Hon. Mr. Patterson, chairman of the Committee on the transfer of the Library, the Secretary stated that a bill had been presented in the House of Representatives by Mr. Patterson, which had been referred to the Library Committee of Congress, who had reported an act providing for the transfer of the Smithsonian library on the terms agreed to by the Board at its last meeting.

The reading of the annual report of the Secretary was then continued.

On motion of Mr. Wallach, the report was accepted.

The Board then adjourned to meet at the call of the Secretary.

WASHINGTON, April 28, 1866. A meeting of the Board of Regents was held this day, at 11 o'clock a. m., in the laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution.

Present: Chief Justice Chase, Chancellor; Hon. L. F. S. Foster, Vice-President United States; Hon. L. Trumbull, Hon. J. W. Patterson, Hon. J. F. Farnsworth, Hon. R. Wallach, General Richard Delafield, Dr. T. D. Woolsey, and Professor Henry, the Secretary.

Chief Justice Chase, Chancellor, took the chair.

A note from General Garfield, stating the cause of his absence from the meeting, was read.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

The Secretary, in accordance with a resolution of the Board at its last meeting, presented the following statement relative to the present value and original cost of the State stocks forming the extra fund of the institution :

Extra fund.

Rate at which Cost, including Present rate. Present value.

bought.

brokerage.

The Secretary presented to the Board the following copy of the act of Congress which had been approved by the President of the United States, April 5, 1866, relative to the Smithsonian library :

[PUBLIC-No. 20.]

AN ACT to provide for the transfer of the custody of the library of the Smithsonian Institution to the library of Congress.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the library collected by the Smithsonian Institution under the provisions of an act approved August tenth, eighteen hundred and forty-six, shall be removed from the building of said Institution, with the consent of the Regents thereof, to the new fire-proof extension of the library of Congress upon completion of a sufficient portion thereor for its accommodation, and shall while there deposited be subject to the same regulations as the library of Congress, except as hereinafter provided.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That when such library shall have been so removed and deposited, the Smithsonian Institution shall have the use thereof in like manner as it is now used, and the public shall have access thereto for purposes of consultation on every ordinary week day, except during one month of each year, in the recess of Congress, when it may be closed for renovation. All the books, maps, and charts of the Smithsonian library shall be properly cared for and preserved in like manner as are those of the Congressional library, from which the Smithsonian library shall not be removed except on reimbursement by the Smithsonian Institution to the treasury of the United States of expenses incurred in binding and in taking care of the same, or upon such terms and conditions as shall be mutually agreed upon by Congress and the Regents of said Institution.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Smithsonian Institution, through its Secretary, shall have the use of the library of Congress, subject to the same regulations as senators and representatives.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the librarian of Congress shall be authorized to employ two additional assistants, who shall receive a yearly compensation of eight hundred dollars and one thousand dollars, respectively, commencing July one, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the sum of five hundred dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the removal herein provided for.

Approved April 5, 1866.

The subject of selling the State stocks forming the extra fund, and of requesting Congress to receive the amount on the same terms as the original bequest of Smithson, was considered.

On motion of Mr. Trumbull, it was

Resolved, That, in addition to the direction given at the last meeting, the Secretary be instructed to apply to Congress for an act authorizing the Treasurer of the United States to receive into the treasury on the same terms as the original bequest, such sums as the Regents may from time to time see fit to deposit, not exceeding, with the original bequest, the sum of one million dollars. On motion of Mr. Patterson, it was

Resolved, That, in case the privilege is granted to increase the capital of the Institution, the Executive Committee, with the Chancellor and Secretary, be authorized to dispose of any or all of the stocks now held by the Institution, and to deposit the proceeds in the treasury of the United States.

General Delafield presented the report of the Building Committee; which was read and adopted.

The Secretary presented a number of communications to illustrate the correspondence of the Institution.

The Board then adjourned to meet at the call of the Secretary.

EXTRACTS FROM THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE INSTITUTION TO ILLUSTRATE ITS OPERATIONS, ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY, PROFESSOR JOSEPH HENRY.

From Joseph Leidy, Curator Academy of Natural Sciences.

PHILADELPHIA, May 1, 1866.

DEAR SIR: I write in answer to your letter of February 20, in relation to the donation of shells by the Smithsonian Institution to the Academy of Natural Sciences. I was obliged to wait until now to give the committee an opportunity to make out an account of the shells, which account I have just received from the chairman, Mr. Tryon. He reports as follows:

"The collection of shells recently presented to the Academy of Natural Sciences by the Smithsonian Institution embraces over 1,300 species, of which 793 are new to our collection; an extraordinary increase, due in great part to the fact that many of the species are those collected by the Wilkes exploring expedition, (described by Dr. Gould,) never before distributed. There are also a large number of new species from the west coast of North America, recently described by Mr. Carpenter.

"We were indebted to the Smithsonian Institution last fall for a donation of 800 species, including 300 new to our collection, being a first portion of the expedition shells. Uniting the two donations, we have thus received over 2,100 species, including 1,100 new to us, within six months. The accuracy of the names and localities renders the collection a valuable addition to our museum."

From J. Miguel Arroyo, Perpetual Secretary of the Mexican Society of Geography and Statistics.

MEXICO, March 24, 1865. ESTEEMED SIR: This society has been highly gratified by the communication of your note of November last, in which notice is given it of the books which the Smithsonian Institution has had the goodness to remit. In effect, it has just received, at the hands of Señor D. José Ramon Pacheco, three large boxes containing the said books, which the society, with a high appreciation of the gift, has ordered to be placed in its library as a valuable addition to the collection which it already possesses regarding the United States. I shall not forget to seek, and will very soon send you the "Registro trimestro," which you have had the condescension to inquire for; and begging you to accept for your distinguished institution the thanks of this society for the favor conferred, I have the honor to subscribe myself your obedient servant.

From Jno. Evans, Governor of Colorado Territory.

DENVER, July 29, 1865.

DEAR SIR: The fossil jaw referred to in yours of the 12th instant was presented to me by Arapahoe Chief "Friday," who said he found it on Rock creek, a tributary of the Republican fork of the Kansas river, about one hundred and fifty miles nearly due cast of this place.

In September, 1863, I visited that region of country, vainly endeavoring to get the Indians together in council.

The general character of the country on the head of the Republican, corresponds with other parts of the great plains, in being covered with the buffalo grass on the clayey soils and bunch grass on the sandy hills.

The valleys along the streams are exceedingly fertile, being covered with tall grass, rushes, and other growths of luxuriant vegetation common to such localities in other parts of the country.

On the Whiteman's fork, Rock creek, and Arickaree fork, I found high bluffs, bounding rather narrow bottoms, the general surface of the country being slightly rolling on the general level of the bluffs. For some twenty-five or thirty miles east and west these bluffs show outcrops of a cretaceous limestone, corresponding with the mauvaises terres north of it.

This region has as yet been but little known. Captain J. C. Frémont crossed it in 1843, and Lieutenant Bryan, in his explorations for a wagon road from Fort Riley to Bridger's pass, in the year 1856, on his return trip, passed down Rock creek, but they appear to have given the country but a slight examination, as might be expected on such expeditions. From reports of parties who have crossed the country south of this region on the dividing ridge between the waters of the Platte and Arkansas rivers, near the 103° of west longitude, I am led to believe this cretaceous formation extends for some distance southward from the place that I visited on the occasion referred to.

It is a mistake to call this region a desert, for throughout my trip across the region at the head of the Republican, I found it everywhere covered with grass, furnishing the best of pasturage for stock.

Any further information that I can give will be cheerfully furnished.

From William F. Given, United Stales Vice-Consul.

MARTINIQUE, ST. PIERRE, January 6, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to acquaint you with the circumstances attending a very remarkable electric phenomenon which occurred in this city on the afternoon of the 23d of November last, while I was absent in the United States.

A heavy temperature, charged with electricity, had for several days pressed on the town, during which time there had been many and violent showers of rain. A sudden and heavy shower of rain had just ceased, when there came a sharp and short detonation like the booming of a cannon, accompanied by a flash of red light, and followed by the smell of burnt powder. At the same instant cries were heard from a house in the principal street, the north end of which had been struck by the lightning. On this end of the house there was a projection, which was shattered, and the rubbles and tiles were almost symmetrically thrown across the street. The fluid then passed along the houses to the right, and down the front of one of these to a distance some two or three feet below the level of the pavement; then passing outwardly, without in any manner deranging the pavement, which was of brick, it extracted from the side of the gutter a flat stone, nearly half a yard in length by about ten inches wide and eight thick. This stone was taken out of the gutter at a level with the bottom without interfering in any way with the surrounding mason-work, and, being taken by an oblique line upwards, was thrown against the house on the opposite side of the street. Here it took out six slats of a Venetian window and falling on the round table of the saloon, shattered its marble slab.