REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 101 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITITTION PROPER. 



The exhibit of the Smithsonian Institution occupied a space of al>out 025 

 s(]uare feet in the central court of the pavilion mentioned alx»ve. A special 

 table case was placed in the middle of this court in which were displayed 

 copies of the History of the First Half Century of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 the seal of the Institution, and several Hodgkins medals. A continuous seat 

 extended along the east wall of the court, above which were displayed two 

 portraits of James Smithson, copies of his scientific papers, a cast of the 

 I'lonze tablet which was placed on his tomb at Genoa, Italy, and i)ictures of the 

 tomb itself. Adjoining these objects was a series of ]»hotographs of the chan- 

 cellors and regents of the Institution and portraits of the secretaries. On the 

 south wall of the court was exhiliited a portrait of Thomas G. Hodgkins and 

 circulars and papers relating to the Hodgkins fund. A portion of the north 

 wall of the court was occupied by an exhibit from the Bureau of International 

 Exchanges, consisting of a large statistical chart, showing its operations for 

 a period of fifty-three years. A complete series of the publications of 

 the Institution and all its dependencies, comprising 278 volumes, was also 

 exhibited in this si)aco. Hung in midair over the pavilion was the quarter-size 

 model of the I.angley gas-driven aerodrome of 1004. The Langley steam-driven 

 aerodrome of ISOtJ was also hung in midair about 30 feet in front of the former. 

 Three enlarged photographs of the steam-driven aerodrome when in motion 

 were hung on the side-walls of the pavilion. 



The Children's Room occupied the portion of the pavilion abutting on the 

 main aisle. In shape, size, and character of fittings and exhibits, the room 

 was. as nearly as possible, a replica of the original room in the Smith.sonian 

 building. Around the walls were specially constructed low cases of light- 

 colored wood, while in the center of the room, on a low stand, was an aquarium, 

 and near by a cage of living song-birds. A portion of the wall-case was oc- 

 cupied by birds of interest to children, among which were the following : 

 Familiar birds of the United States; birds-of-paradise, and others noted for 

 their brilliancy of coloring: interesting water-birds, such as the eider duck, 

 lapwing, avocet, European stork, penguin, barnacle goose ; other noteworthy 

 birds, such as the apteryx, rook, jackdaw, and lyre bird, the harpy eagle, the 

 condor, and examples of the largest and smallest owls. In this room were 

 also exhibited the duckbill, or platypus, and the spiny ant-eater, peculiar 

 egg-laying manunals from Australia. To illustrate how animals are iirotected 

 by their color and form, or " how creatures hide," was shown a weasel in 

 the white winter coat on snow-covered ground, and another in the brown 

 summer coat amid dead leaves ; also an underwing moth on bark, and such 

 ]K'<-uliar insects as the katydid and walking-stick. Curious forms of life were 

 shown in the finger sponge, the glass sponge, the organ-pipe coral, and the 

 sea-horse, as well as brilliantly colored parrot fishes. The room also contained 

 a small exhibit of useful minerals. In the south and east part of the wall- 

 case was a collection of beautiful and interesting shells. Including those of the 

 giant clam. Trldacna. In another part of the room were some comparative 

 exhibits, such as a cast of the egg of the extinct bird Epyornis and the egg 

 of a hunDuingbird. representing the largest and smallest eggs. Groups of 

 brilliant North American and South American butterflies, and of familiar 

 forms, arranged to show life-histories, were also exhibited. 



As a part of the exhibit of the Smithsonian Institution, may be mentioned 

 a descrii»tive pamphlet of 35 pages and 12 plate.s, for gratuitous distribution 

 to the i»ublic, being an account of the Smith.sonian Institution, its origin, his 

 tory, objects, and 'achievements. 



