The road which passes over the bridge should be continued onward up the valley of the creek as far as the northern boundary of the park, which is separated from the Rock Creek National Park by the Klingle road. This would give the public an easy access to the animal paddocks situated on the lower levels of the park, establish a thoroughfare between the Zoological Park and the Rock Creek Park, and afford to the residents of the country lying immediately to the west of the lower end of Rock Creek Park a convenient outlet toward the city.

But little has been done during the year to improve the means of access to the park. This is owing in great measure to the fact that the plans for the extension of the streets of the city are not yet fully matured, and no appropriations have yet been made for carrying them into execution. In consequence of this, there is no properly improved roadway connecting the recently completed road in the park with the city system.

The colony of beavers which has been installed along one of the streams of the park and temporarily secluded, has done very well, and the animals, while thus secured from annoyance or interference have worked as in a state of nature. It is hoped that they may soon be so far domesticated as to admit of their carrying on their very interesting pursuits under the eyes of the public, which is not yet possible.

The accessions to the collection during the past year have been few. The supply from the Yellowstone National Park, which was confidently counted upon, has in some respects been disappointing. Owing to the inroads of poachers and to inadequate winter pasturage, the bison in that park have greatly decreased in numbers and are widely scattered in almost inaccessible regions, so that it has been practically impossible to secure any of them in the corral built for their protection and preservation. Stringent penalties against poaching within that park have been enacted by Congress, and it is hoped that by careful attention a remnant of the herd of bison may yet be preserved. It is thought best not to disturb them at present by any attempts looking toward herding or capture.

While the bison have been decreasing in the somewhat unfavorable locality of the Yellowstone National Park, in other parts of the country some increase has occurred. Thus it is found that a portion of the great northern herd has been isolated near Ronan, Montana, and in the so-called panhandle of Texas a remnant of the southern herd continues to be maintained. It may be remarked that the vast regions of Texas contain many animals that would be of advantage to our national collection. Many of the Mexican species of deer range into this country, and many distinctively Mexican animals, such as the peccary and the jaguar, occur, while on the plains are found wild horses, supposed by some to be indigenous, and therefore anterior to the Spanish occupation, and there are even a few camels running wild in some of the more inaccessible portions of the country, relics of a herd imported for purposes of transportation before the days of the Pacific railroads.

ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY.

The operations of the Astrophysical Observatory have consisted chiefly in experiments in the bolographic analysis of the infra-red solar spectrum and the preparation of a report thereon, which was completed in May of the present year, and contains, in addition to introductory, historical, descriptive, and theoretical matter and accounts of subsidiary investigations, tablés of positions of 222 absorption lines in the infrared solar spectrum in terms of angular deviations and refractive indices for a rock-salt prism, and of the approximate wave-lengths corresponding. These results are based on observations taken between October, 1896, and January, 1897, which are far superior to any before obtained, by reason of the great improvements in instrumental equipment spoken of in my last report. In this research it has thus been necessary to bestow what may seem inordinate time on the production of preliminary results chiefly useful in indicating requisite refinements of apparatus and of method. This once done, the results to be obtained in a few months exceed in value, for the main purpose of the investigation, all that have been obtained in as many years. An examination of the earlier bolographs has, however, recently been undertaken, and a great number of measurements made on the relative amounts of energy in the various parts of the spectrum, which, it is hoped, will lead to interesting results when compared with weather records covering the same interval of time.

A more detailed account of the work of the Observatory will be found in the appendix. It is regretted that owing to unforeseen delays, not in any way due to the Observatory, the report above mentioned is not yet in type, so that the results obtained, which it is believed will be a contribution of interest and value to physical science, are not yet generally accessible. I trust that the obstacle preventing publication may be removed immediately after the assembling of Congress. Respectfully submitted.

S. P. LANGLEY,

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

APPENDIX TO SECRETARY'S REPORT.

APPENDIX I.

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.

SIR: The following statement constitutes a résumé of the most important operations of the National Museum during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1897:

These

Accessions.-The records show the receipt of 1,467 separate accessions. figures indicate an excess of 168 lots over the receipts of the previous year. The number of specimens embraced in these accessions is nearly 112,000, representing an increase of more than 50 per cent over last year. The following accessions are among the most interesting:

Of the zoological material, mention should first be made of two exceedingly valuable and interesting collections from Trong, Lower Siam, presented by Dr. W. L. Abbott. This material is of unusual interest, the insects and shells representing many species new to the Museum collection. The specimens were received in a very satisfactory condition. Mr. A. Boucard, Spring Vale, Isle of Wight, England, transmitted a specimen of the rare mound fowl, Leipoa ocellata, from Australia. Dr. L. T. Chamberlain, New York City, presented shells from Central America and the West Indies, and specimens of tourmaline from Paris, Me. From Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., invertebrates collected by the Cornell Expedition to Greenland in 1896 were transmitted by Prof. J. H. Comstock. Mr. D. W. Coquillett, United States Department of Agriculture, sent 860 specimens of beetles of the family Tachinidæ, including type specimens. From Hon. W. B. Brownlow, Member of Congress, have been received, on deposit, birds' skins and other natural-history specimens from British Honduras. Mr. J. G. Foetterle, Petropolis, Brazil, presented 172 specimens of Brazilian Lepidoptera, representing 115 species. Mr. S. Nozawa, Sapporo, Japan, sent a collection of reptiles, batrachians, and fishes obtained at Yesso Island. A very interesting collection of beetles collected in the Kongo region was received from Dr. D. W. Snyder, Nashville, Tenn. Dr. W. L. Ralph, Utica, N. Y., presented birds' skins from the western section of the United States. Zoological material representing several groups was collected by Prof. O. F. Cook during a trip to Liberia. A collection of land and fresh-water shells was transmitted by the Perak Museum, Straits Settlements.

Among the most important additions to the herbarium are included a series of 1,000 plants, representing the private collection of Dr. W. H. Forwood, U. S. A., Soldiers' Home, Washington, D. C.; 432 herbarium specimens, also from Dr. Forwood; 500 specimens from the Biltmore Herbarium, Biltmore, N. C.; a collection of plants obtained by Prof. O. F. Cook, of the National Museum, while in Africa, and a collection of Spanish plants presented by Mrs. Cook.

A number of microscopic sections from the collection of the Fortieth Parallel Survey were transmitted from the United States Geological Survey by Mr. Arnold Hague.

Mr. R. D. Lacoe, Pittston, Pa., forwarded 208 specimens of tertiary plants from Florissant, Colo., for addition to the Lacoe collection. Dr. C. E. Beecher, Yale Museum, New Haven, Conn., presented a fine series of fossils, models of Triarthrus becki, a species of crustacean, and a model of a trilobite with appendage.

Mrs. J. Crosby Brown, New York City, contributed a collection of ethnological objects from the western coast of Africa; Dr. W. L. Abbott transmitted some very valuable ethnological specimens from Lower Siam, and Dr. D. W. Snyder sent material of a similar character from the Kongo region.

A collection of engraved diplomas, inscriptions, etc., was presented to the Museum by Messrs. Tiffany & Co., New York City. From Mr. Yang Yü, Chinese minister in Washington, a large blue porcelain vase, a bronze urn, and a string of beads were received.

Prof. D. P. Todd forwarded from Amherst College two frames of photographs illustrating the work of the Amherst Eclipse Expedition to Japan in 1885. Miss M. A. Henry, Washington, D. C., transmitted specimens of electrical apparatus, and a number of diplomas and medals presented to her father, Prof. Joseph Henry.

The scientific and administrative staff.-On September 6, 1896, by the untimely and unexpected death of Dr. G. Brown Goode, the Museum was deprived of its immediate head. It was not feasible to fill at once and permanently the vacancy thus most unfortunately occurring, and on January 27, 1897, I had the honor to receive the temporary appointment of acting assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in charge of the Museum.

Mr. W. C. Winlock, who, in addition to his special work as curator of the Smithsonian Bureau of International Exchanges and aid in charge of the office of the Institution, held the honorary position of curator of physical apparatus in the National Museum, died on September 20, 1896. Maj. Charles Bendire, United States Army, honorary curator of the department of birds' eggs, died on February 4, 1897. Mr. M. L. Linell, aid in the department of insects, died on May 3, 1897.

Dr. L. T. Chamberlain, of New York City, was, on January 11, 1897, appointed honorary custodian of the collection of gems and precious stones. Mr. J. N. Rose, Mr. C. L. Pollard, and Prof. O. F. Cook, have been appointed assistant curators in the department of botany. Mr. J. L. Willige was designated acting chief clerk in February, 1897, relieving Mr. W. V. Cox, who was appointed special agent in charge of the exhibit of the Smithsonian Institution at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Mr. Henry Horan, who, since 1880, had filled the position of superintendent of buildings, died on September 29, 1896. Mr. Horan first became connected with the Smithsonian Institution in 1857. Mr. J. E. Watkins, curator of the technological collections, was placed in charge of the new division of buildings and superintendence, retaining, in addition, the curatorship of the technological collections.

Distribution of specimens.-More than 26,000 specimens have been distributed during the year, including gifts to institutions, exchanges, and specimens sent for study. About one-half of the entire number consisted of herbarium specimens, and of the remainder more than 3,700 were marine invertebrates, and about 2,400 geological specimens.

Visitors. The number of visitors to the Museum building during the year was 229,606, and to the Smithsonian building 115,709, making a total of 345,315. It should be remarked that in the total for this year is included the increase in the number of visitors occasioned in March by the inaugural ceremonies of President McKinley.

Specimens received for determination.-The number of lots of material received for determination continues to increase. During the fiscal year just closed there were 716 accessions of this character, 174 more than during the preceding year. The labor involved in the identification of this material consumes a large share of the time of several of the curators, especially in the departments of birds, insects, mollusks, and geology, for which the Museum receives very little in return. It is believed, however, that an important field of usefulness is found in this direction. Tennessee Centennial Exposition.-The sum of $30,000 was appropriated by Congress for the erection of a building for the Government exhibit at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, and the sum of $100,000 for the exhibit proper and for other inci