20 ANNUAL EEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1916. 



Smithsonian report. — The complete volume of the 1914 report was 

 received from the printer and distributed at the beginning of the 

 year. Material for the 1915 report was sent to press in December, 

 and was completed just before the fiscal year closed. In the general 

 appendix are 22 papers showing recent progress in various branches 

 of science, including "The utilization of solar energy," "Evidences 

 of primitive life," by your secretary, " Heredity," " Linguistic areas 

 in Europe," and " Eecent developments in telephony and telegraphy." 

 The custom of printing special editions in pamphlet form of papers 

 in the general appendix has proved of great advantage; in several 

 cases there has been a demand for a veiy large number of copies, 

 which was especially noticeable in connection with an article on " The 

 value of birds to man " in the 1913 report. 



Special publications. — Opinion 67 of the Opinions of the Inter- 

 national Commission on Zoological Nomenclature was issued as a 

 special publication. A special paper by Chester G. Gilbert of the 

 National Museum, on " Sources of nitrogen compounds in the United 

 States" attracted considerable attention. Among other conclusions, 

 he states: 



The evolution of a practicable process for the oxidation of by-product 

 ammonia to render present resources available, with the development of an 

 atmosplieric nitrogen fixation output by the Cyanamide process carefully timed 

 to meet growing demands following a reduction in the retail price of nitro- 

 genous fertilizer, would appear to be the desirable governmental procedure as 

 being the one least liable to disastrous consequences. 



National MiMseum publicatioTis. — The National Museum issued an 

 annual report, 2 volumes of the proceedings, 52 separate papers form- 

 ing parts of these and other volumes, and 4 bulletins. 



Bureau of Ethnology publications. — The Bureau of American 

 Ethnology published 2 annual reports, separates of 4 accompanying 

 papers in these reports, and 2 bulletins. 



Reports of historical and patriotic societies. — The annual reports 

 of the American Historical Association and the National Society of 

 the Daughters of the American Kevolution were submitted to the 

 Institution and communicated to Congress in accordance with the 

 charters of these organizations. 



Allotments for printing. — Most of the allotment to the Institution 

 and its branches for printing was used during the year, though it 

 Avas impracticable to complete a large amount of material in press 

 at the close of the year in the National Museum and Bureau of 

 American Ethnology series. - 



The allotments for the year ending June 30, 1917, are as follows : 



For the Smithsonian Institution : For printing and binding the annual 

 reports of the Board of Regents, with general appendices, the edi- 

 tions of which shall not exceed 10,000 copies $10,000 



