16 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



rehearsed, have been made such as can be easily complied 

 with. The appointing power rests finally with the Secretary, 

 but each request for the seat with its accompanying data is 

 referred as a preliminary step to the Advisor}^ Committee 

 for recommendation, and this year, as heretofore, he has been 

 indebted to the committee for valuable suggestions in this 

 connection and has been very usually guided by their advice. 



With a formal application for the table, addressed to the 

 Secretary of the Institution, a summary of the scientific his- 

 tory of the candidate is to be submitted, together with such 

 letters of recommendation as he may wish to place on record. 

 These credentials should contain a list of the original papers 

 which have been published by the applicant, and should be 

 accompanied by any data which would tend to establish a 

 capability for original research, such as conducted by those 

 resident at the station. By an official decision, arrived at in 

 the interest of all candidates, the table is not assigned more 

 than six months in advance of the date for which it is desired, 

 and no appointment is made for a longer period than six 

 months, although a student may apply for an extension of 

 time or for future reappointment. Few investigators have 

 so far desired to remain longer than six consecutive months 

 at the station, although a second appointment is at times 

 requested, and applications are not infrequently submitted 

 several months in advance of the period when it is in order 

 to take them up for consideration. 



It should be again noted that Smithsonian appointees are 

 expected to report to the Institution at the termination of 

 their term of occupanc}", or preferably at the end of each 

 three months, in case of a longer residence at the station. 



The following appointments to the Smithsonian seat have 

 been made during the year: 



Dr. P. C. Mensch, of Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa., 

 Avhose application was approved during the summer of 1900, 

 occupied the Smithsonian Table during November of the same 

 year. 



Dr. F. L. Stevens, of the Universitj" of Chicago, was 

 appointed for May, 1901. 



Dr. Burton -Opitz, of Rush College and the University of 

 Chicago, and later *"' Voluntiir-Assistent " to Dr. Hurthlein the 



