20 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



These essays vshould be presented within a specitied time and sub- 

 mitted to the judgment of a committee, of vrhieh I should be Avilling 

 to be a member. Notice of tliis prize coukl advantageously be made 

 public through the following special journals: L'Anthropologie, Paris; 

 Archiv fiir Anthropologic, Braunschweig. 



In regard to your incjuiry as to any in>portant research germane to 

 the subject in which 1 am personally interested, which would be ad- 

 vanced by a grant of money, I beg leave to say that I am at present 

 hindered from pursuing my investigations into the influence of climate 

 and other atmosidieric phenomena in bringing about the distribution 

 of tribes and stocks of North American aborigines at the time of the 

 discovery, by the need of a small sum of money which might be placed 

 at my disposal. If I had $500 unfettered by conditions, I could within 

 a year's time undertake to bring together the elements for the solution 

 of this problem, whii-h has puzzled for so many years students of 

 ethnology and philology. 



i anj, very resjiectfully yours, 



* # * 



S. P. Langley, Esq., 



Secretary Smithsonian Jufititution, 



Washin()to)i, I>. (J. 



As soon as the attention of the ])ublic had been directed to Mr. 

 Hodgkins's gilt, numerous applications for assistance from the fund 

 were made, and T deemed it advantageous to appoint a special advisory 

 committee, to which might be referred nmtters pertaining to the 

 Hodgkins fund. This committee was comi>osed of Surgeon John S. 

 Billings, U. H. Army, Director of the Army MedictJ Museum, in behalf 

 of hygiene and tlie related sciences; Prof. F. W. Clarke, chemist of 

 the U. S. Geological Survey; Mr. William II. Dall of the U. S. Geolog- 

 ical Survey, well known for his biological and an.thropological studies; 

 Prof. AVilliam 0. Winlock, in behalf of astronomy and physics, and the 

 Assistant Secretary of the Institution, Dr. G. Brown Goode, who acted 

 as chairman. The committee has held several meetings, and I desire 

 at this time to express my high api)reciation of the value of the work 

 which they have already done, both as a committee and individually. 

 At the close of the year, the committee had under consideration, at my 

 request, a form of circular to be issued to learned institutions and in- 

 vestigators throughout the world, calling attention to the establish- 

 ment of the Hodgkins fund, and announcing certain prizes which it is 

 intended to olter for essays upon specihed subjects. 



THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



1 took occasion in my last report to invite your attention to the fact 

 that the very rapid growth of the collections of the Museum was be- 

 coming, under existing circumstances, a source of great embarrass- 

 ment. The difficulties of the situation have increased during the past 

 year, since, while the influx of specimens has continued, no additional 

 space has been provided for their reception and only an insignificant 

 additional sum of money for their maintenance. 



