JOURNAL OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 467 



received. One on the Zodiac of the Asteroids, by Professor Hub- 

 bard, of the National Observatory ; another, an account of a new 

 comet discovered by an American lady, written by herself; another 

 on the affinity of the Sanscrit and Chinese languages. Also sev- 

 eral memoirs have been proposed, and are now in process of prep- 

 aration. One by Professor Curley, giving an account of George- 

 town Observatory, of the instruments with which it is furnished, 

 and of the observations which have been made by means of it ; 

 another by Professor Agassiz, on the Cetacean remains found on 

 this continent. Professor Agassiz has also, in connection with Mr. 

 Iiedfield, engaged in the preparation of the drawings for an ex- 

 tended memoir on the Fossil Fish of North America, which he 

 wishes to present for publication in the Smithsonian Contribu- 

 tions. 



Dr. Hare's Apparatus. — The apparatus presented by Dr. Hare is 

 now deposited in one of the basement rooms of the Smithsonian 

 building. In order to transport it from Philadelphia, a vessel was 

 chartered, and inasmuch as articles of comparatively little value 

 did not in this way increase the cost of transportation, many were 

 brought on, which would not otherwise have been worth the cost; 

 though they may be found of use in many cases of original re- 

 search. It is proposed not to open these instruments until an 

 arrangement can be made for repairing and placing them in their 

 proper cases. 



Apparatus to be loaned to Lieutenant Gilliss. — Congress, at the last 

 session, made an appropriation for astronomical observations under 

 the direction of Lieutenant Gilliss on the parallax of the planets, 

 in an observatory established on the coast of Peru. The appropri- 

 ation, ($5,000,) however, was unfortunately not sufficient to pay the 

 outfit and to purchase all the necessary instruments. Under these 

 circumstances Lieutenant Gilliss applied to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution for aid, and, after consultation with the Executive Commit- 

 tee informally, the Secretary had concluded to order an instrument 

 in the name of the Institution, and to loan the same to Lieutenant 

 Gilliss on condition that the payment be not required under three 

 years from next March, and the Institution to have proper credit 

 for its share in the expense of the expedition. It is probable, 

 however, that Congress may be induced to make a further appropria- 

 tion, and that the Institution will not be called upon to pay for the 

 instrument. The region in which the observatory is located is one 

 frequently visited by earthquakes, and since every fact which can 

 be learned with reference to this phenomenon is of importance, the 



