REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CARNEGIE 

 INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



In conformity with Article IV of the By-laws of the Carnegie Institution 

 of Washington, I have the honor to submit the following report on the his- 

 tory and on the progress of the work of the Institution for the fiscal year 

 ending October 31, 191 1, along with recommendations of appropriations for 

 the ensuing year and with sundry suggestions concerning other matters of 

 general or special interest. 



This report is the tenth annual report of the Institution and is presented 

 under the following principal heads: 



1. Work of administration. 



2. Resume of investigations of the year. 



3. Publications. 



4. Recommendations of budget for 1912. 



ADMINISTRATION. 



The most important event in the history of the Institution during the past 

 , . vear is that of a new gift by the Founder of $10,000,000 to be 



Increase in ' .,,... ^^. . . . . 



Institution's added to the endowment of the Institution. Ihis gift was made 

 Endowment, j^nown by the following letter, which, although given to the 

 press in February last, is here reproduced for more permanent record : 



Nrw York, January ip, ipii. 

 Dear Mr. Pre;side;nt: 



So great has been the success of the Institution that I hav de- 

 cided to increas its resources by adding Ten Millions of Five Per 

 Cent Bonds, value Eleven and a Half Millions, which will ultimately 

 giv you Five Hundred Thousand Dollars a year increast revenue. I 

 stipulate as a condition of this gift that, unless expressly relieved 

 therefrom by me, you shall set apart annually for the next ten years 

 a sum not less than Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars in 

 cash each year to be held in a reserv fund as against losses, emer- 

 gencies, reduction in income, and the diminishing purchasing power 

 of money. This will also giv the Board more time to study sugges- 

 tions submitted to it and avoid the danger of premature action. 

 Better that new ideas should be tested upon a small scale before 

 going deeply into them. 



I hope the work at Mount Wilson will be vigorously pusht, be- 

 caus I am so anxious to hear the expected results from it. I should 

 like to be satisfied before I depart, that we are going to repay to the 



