30 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



should be stated also that several grantees engaged in individual researches 

 have joined the staffs of the departments to which their work was closely- 

 related. 



The extent and variety of these researches forbid anything like an ade- 

 quate account of them here. Most of those cited in my preceding report as 

 specially worthy of mention were continued during the year, and nearly all 

 of these have produced publications already issued or in press. 



Three new projects under this head may be alluded to, namely : 



1. The preparation for publication of a critical edition of the Vulgate 

 Version of the Arthurian Romances, by Dr. H. Oskar Sommer, of London, 

 England. The manuscript of the first two parts of this work has already- 

 been received from Dr. Sommer, and preparations are now being made for 

 printing them in appropriate form. 



2. The preparation of an advanced treatise on meteorology, together with 

 suitable numerical tables to facilitate practical applications, by Prof. V. 

 Bjerknes and Mr. J. W. Sandstrom, of the University of Stockholm. The 

 first part of this work is expected to be ready for publication before the end 

 of this calendar year. 



3. Soon after the occurrence of the San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 

 1906, a commission, known as the California Earthquake Commission, was 

 formed to examine and report upon the remarkable and v/ide-spread effects 

 of the shock. This commission consists of Prof. Andrew C. Lawson, chair- 

 man ; Prof. J. C. Branner, Prof. Charles Burckhalter, Prof. W. W. Camp- 

 bell, Prof. George Davidson, Dr. G. K. Gilbert, Prof. A. O. Leuschner, and 

 Prof. H. F. Reid. In response to an application from this commission a grant 

 of $5,000 was made to aid in the collection of data on the causes and effects 

 of the earthquake. Probably few, if any, earthquakes have been carefully- 

 studied by such competent observers as the members of this commission, most 

 of whom happened to be, fortunately, where they were awakened by the first 

 marked tremors of the shock. 



With regard to minor projects in general and with regard to the relative 

 merits of major and minor projects, some extended observations will be found 

 in a subsequent part of this report. It may be remarked here, however, 

 that the experience of the Institution thus far with minor grants appears to 

 me to have been on the whole quite unfavorable to them, altho the knowl- 

 edge thus gained of this commonly approved sj'-stem of awards is doubtless 

 worth all it has cost. Briefly stated, this experience seems to show that the 

 probability of getting anything more than an educational return from mis- 

 cellaneous applicants who come highly recommended to the Institution is 

 not more than one-half. On the other hand, this experience seems to 

 show very clearly that if awards were limited more closely to applicants of 

 proved capacity for and of proved opportunity for research the probability 



