REPORT 01'' Tilt PRESIDENT, I908. 25 



Carrere and Hastings, of New York City, who are also superintending the 

 work of construction. The contract with Messrs. Pennock, whose bid was 

 the lowest of six bids, calls for an expenditure of $210,287. Adding to 

 this 5 per cent for fees of architects for preparation of plans, specifications, 

 and contract, and for superintendence, the cost of the building will be in 

 round numbers $220,500. 



A permit for the construction of this building was obtained from the 

 authorities of the District of Columbia on February 2y, 1908, and the con- 

 tract with the builders requires that their work be completed within 400 

 days from that date. At the time of issue of this report work on the build- 

 ing is so well advanced that it will be fully inclosed before the advent of 

 winter storms. 



RESUME OF WORK OF YEAR. 



Ten fully organized departments of the Institution are now actively 

 engaged in the conduct of investigations in as many different fields of re- 

 search. Each department has its director and staff of 

 General Aspects of collaborators and assistants, and seven of them have 

 ^^Work!"' ^ laboratories or observatories with appropriate equipments. 



For convenience of reference the designations of these 

 departments and the names of their directors may be here cited : 



1. Botanical Research: D. T. MacDougal, Director. 



2. Economics and Sociology: Carroll D. Wright, Director. 



3. Experimental Evolution : Charles B. Davenport, Director. 



4. Geophysical Research : Arthur L. Day, Director. 



5. Historical Research : J. F. Jameson, Director. 



6. Marine Biology : Alfred G. Mayer, Director. 



7. Meridian Astrometry: Lewis Boss, Director. 



8. Research in Nutrition : Francis G. Benedict, Director. 



9. Solar Research : George E. Hale, Director. 



10. Terrestrial Magnetism : L. A. Bauer, Director. 



Of these departments, the first, third, and sixth may be grouped under 

 the head of biological science ; the second and fifth under humanistic science ; 

 the fourth and tenth under geophysical science ; the seventh and ninth under 

 astronomical science ; and the eighth under physiological science. There 

 are thus but five of the broader provinces of science represented by the ten 

 departments, and a closer inspection would show that in each province the 

 fields of investigation are strictly limited, as they must be, by the limitations 

 of the Institution's income. 



In the light of a more inclusive classification, it will be noted that only 

 two of these departments are devoted to humanistic science, while eight of 

 them are devoted to physical science, assuming that biology is a branch of 

 the latter. This great disparity of representation and the reasons therefor 

 are well worthy of reflective consideration, especially in connection with any 

 plans for enlargement of the work of the Institution. 



