954 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OP SMITHSON's BEQUEST. 



explanation of known facts, but must also enable us to 

 predict, in kind and quantity, the phenomena which will 

 be exhibited under any given combination of circumstances. 

 Thus, in the case of the undulatory hypothesis of light, it 

 was inferred, as a logical consequence, that if the supposi- 

 tion were true that light consisted of waves of an ethereal 

 medium, then two rays of light, like two waves of water 

 under certain conditions, should annihilate each other, and 

 darkness be produced. The experiment was tried, and the 

 anticipated result was obtained. It is this exact agreement 

 of the deduction with the actual result of experience that 

 constitutes the verification of an hypothesis, and which 

 alone entitles it to the name of a theory, and to a place in 

 the transactions of a scientific institution. It must be recol- 

 lected that it is much easier to speculate than to investigate, 

 and that very few of all the hypotheses imagined are capable 

 of standing the test of scientific verification. 



For the practical working of the plan for obtaining the 

 character of a memoir, and the precaution taken before it 

 is accepted for publication, I would refer to the correspond- 

 ence, given in a subsequent part of this report, relative to 

 the memoir now in process of publication by the institution. 

 As it is not our intention to interfere with the proceedings 

 of other institutions, but to co-operate with them, so far as 

 our respective operations are compatible, communications 

 may be referred to learned societies for inspection, as in the 

 case of the above-mentioned memoir, and abstracts of them 

 given to the world through the bulletins of these societies, 

 while the details of the memoirs and their expensive illus- 

 trations are published in the volumes of the Smithsonian 

 Contributions. The otiicers of several learned societies in 

 this country have expressed a willingness to co-operate in 

 this way. 



Since original research is the most direct way of increas- 

 ing knowledge, it can scarcely be doubted that a part of the 

 income of the bequest should be appropriated to this pur- 

 pose, provided suitable persons can be found, and their 

 labors be directed to proper objects. The number, how- 

 ever, of those who are capable of discovering scientific prin- 

 ciple is comparatively small; like the poet, they are " born, 

 not made," and, like him, must be left to choose their own 

 subject, and wait the fitting time of inspiration. In case a 

 person of this class has fallen on a vein of discovery, and is 

 pursuing it with success, the better plan will be to grant 

 him a small sum of money to carry on his investigations, 

 provided they are considered worthy of assistance by com- 



