18 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



attentiou of mankind may best be concentrated and kept concentrated 

 on the importance of the subject. He has expressed a hope that it 

 might be thought advisable to offer some very considerable prize, 

 which, being pubhshed to the eutu^e world, wouhl by its magnitude call 

 attention to the subject in which he was so much interested. 



Much consideration nas been given to the question as to how the 

 donor's wishes may best be carried into effect, for no small difftculty 

 arises from the universality of the application of his foundation, since 

 manifestly there is no branch of natural science which is not affected 

 by it. Meteorology, hygiene and related subjects are most obviously 

 concerned, while others, though less obviously, are no less immediately 

 connected, such as geology, for instance, which has for its field the 

 crust of the earth, now recognized as being largely formed of atmos- 

 pheric deposits and molded by atmospheric intlueuces. This is only 

 an instance of what we find in the case of nearly every one of the 

 whole circle of sciences, biological and physical, all of which appear 

 on examination to be affected by our knowledge of the atmosphere in 

 a very real and important sense. 



In order to secure the advice and co-operation of scientific men 

 throughout the world, letters were addressed to a number of eminent 

 specialists, stating the circumstances of Mr. Hodgkins's gift to the 

 Institution, and explaining his wishes. The following letter is an 

 example : 



Sir: I have the honor to inform you that a bequest has been made 

 to the Smithsonian Institution by Mr. Thomas G. Hodgkins, the income 

 of a portion of which is to be devoted to the increase and diffusion of 

 more exact knowledge of the nature and properties of atmospheric air. 



In carrying out the donor's wishes, it is proposed to offer a number 

 of prizes for scientific investigations of a high order of merit bearing 

 upon the properties of the atmosphere, to be awarded without regard 

 to the nationality of tlie author. 



While hygiene will occupy a prominent place, it is not intended to 

 limit these "prizes to any single class of investigations, however im- 

 portant, but to extend them over the whole field of the natural sciences, 

 as far as these may be regarded as related to each other through the 

 atmosphere as a common bond. 



In illustration of my meaning, I may instance as proper subjects for 

 investigation — 



1. Anthropology, considering man himself as modified by climate, 



and his arts as affected by the atmosphere; 



2. Biology, in connection with the atmosphere as a fountain of life; 



3. Chemistry, in its many obvious relationships to the subject; 



4. Electricity, considered in connection with atmospheric electricity; 



5. Geology, considered in connection with the action of the atmos- 



phere in its formation and deformation of the surface of the 



planet; 

 and so on through almost the whole circle of the sciences. 



I now write to ask if you will kindly suggest the nature of the prin- 

 cipal relationsliips existing between physics and the atmosphere, and 

 indicate one or two subjects arising out ot these relations which you 

 consider to be proper lor prize essays. 



