780 EXAMINATION OF PROFESSOR HENRY 



discussing the orbit of Uranus. Two or three years ago he 

 made an investigation of the orbit of Neptune, which was 

 published by the Institution and has been adopted as the 

 basis of the calculations with regard to that planet, I be- 

 lieve, by the computers of all the nautical almanacs. 

 That paper involved a large amount of arithmetical com- 

 putation, and those computations were paid for by the 

 Institution. Now, the same person is engaged on the 

 planet Uranus, one of his objects being to determine 

 whether or not the perturbations of that planet can be ac- 

 counted for b} T the action of the planet Neptune, with a view 

 of ascertaining whether there are outstanding disturbances 

 which would indicate another planet still beyond. This in- 

 vestigation also requires arithmetical computations, which 

 will also be paid for by the Institution. 



1420. The applications are made by the individuals to 

 the Secretary ; does it rest very much with the Secretary to 

 decide upon granting them 7 — Yes, but he only decides 

 after consulting with the collaborateurs of the Institution, 

 and he must have a general knowledge of science and be 

 imbued with its spirit. 



1421. Do you find that you can expend year by year that 

 sum which is placed at your disposal in such a way as to 

 give you satisfaction ? — A great deal more could be ex- 

 pended if it were available, and it is for that object that we 

 are endeavoring to be relieved of the expense of sustaining 

 the museum and other objects. During the past year we 

 have given 20,000 specimens of plants to the Agricultural 

 Department, on condition that a botanist, nominated by the 

 Institution, is appointed to take care of the specimens, so 

 that they may be always accessible for scientific or educa- 

 tional purposes ; in fact, that the Institution is to have all 

 the use of them that it would have if they were in its 

 building. That saves the Institution perhaps $3,000 a year; 

 and the transfer of the care of the books to the Library of 

 Congress, as I have already said, has saved the Institution, 

 $10,000 a year. 



1422. Do you consider yourselves limited to American 

 men of science ? — Not entirely, but seeing that the bequest 

 was given to the United States, and that there is a great 

 want of it there, we incline to give our countrymen the 

 preference. But much is done in assisting the researches 

 of foreign naturalists, by furnishing them with specimens, 

 and in publishing such of their researches as may be con- 

 nected with America : for example, the Institution has 

 published a work on the American Algse, by the late Dr. 



