120 SMITHSONIAN BEQUEST. 



the United States on the 19th of February, 1867, to $550,000, in the 

 following manner: 



The interest at 7.3 per cent, due for two years, to February 15, 1867, on 



the $54, 150 United States bonds, was collected, viz $7, 905. 90 



$25,400 of the bonds were taken by the Treasury Department 

 at 6 per cent premium, yielding: 



Bonds $25, 400. 00 



Premium 1 , 524. 00 



2t>,924. 00 



Interest from February 15-19, four days 20. 32 



Amount realized 34, 850. 22 



Amount placed in the United States Treasury, to be added to the original 

 trust fund, $515,169 (making it $550,000) 34, 831. 00 



Leaving a balance in cash of 19. 22 



This balance was deposited with Riggs & Co. to the credit of the 

 Smithsonian account. 



INCREASE OF THE SMITHSON FUND. 



HaTYiilton fund. — The first addition to the Smithson fund b}^ bequest 

 was that of $1,000 from James Hamilton, of Carlisle, Pa., "the inter- 

 est to be appropriated biennially by the secretaries, either in money 

 or a medal, for such contribution, paper, or lecture on an}^ scientific 

 or useful subject as said secretaries may direct." His will was dated 

 November 20, 1871, and the amount of the bequest was received Febru- 

 ary 24, 1874, and deposited in the United States Treasury. 



Hahel fund. — The second bequest to the Institution was made by 

 Dr. Simeon Habel, of New York, an Austrian physician, of $402.59, 

 which was increased by the Institution to $500, to be known as the 

 "Habel fund," which was deposited on the 15th of March, 1880, in the 

 United States Treasury. 



HodgMns fund. — In May, 1891, Mr. Thomas George Hodgkins, of 

 Setauket, Long Island, New York, proposed to make a gift to the 

 Institution, and after visits from the Secretary, Mr. Langley, and the 

 Assistant Secretary, Mr. Goode, Mr. Hodgkins presented, on Sep- 

 tember 22, 1891, the sum of $200,000, the interest of $100,000 of 

 which was to be used for general purposes in the "increase and diffu- 

 sion of knowledge among men," provided that the interest of the other 

 $100,000 should be used in the investigation of the properties of 

 atmospheric air considered in its very widest relationship to all 

 branches of science. This gift was formally accepted by the Board 

 of Regents on the 21st of October, 1891. Mr. Hodgkins died on the 

 25th of November, 1892, at the age of nearly 90 j^ears. Subsequent 

 to his death, in 1894, an additional sum of $8,000 was received from 

 the estate and added to the Smithson fund, and $42,000 was also 



