THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION CLAEK. 145 



the discovery of argon, a new element in the atmosphere. Another 

 prize of $1,000 for the best popular treatise on atmospheric air was 

 awarded to Dr. Henry de Varigny, of Paris, from among 229 com- 

 petitors in the United States, France, Germany, England, Scotland, 

 Ireland, Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Norway, Denmark, Fin- 

 land, Bohemia, Bavaria, Servia, Switzerland, Spain, India, Canada, 

 Mexico, and Argentina. Numerous investigations on the " composi- 

 tion of expired air and its effects upon animal life," in " atmospheric 

 actinometry," the " air of towns," " animal resistance to disease," 

 " experiments with ionized air," " the ratio of specific heats," and 

 kindred topics have been carried on with the aid of grants from 

 the Hodgkins fund. Researches have likewise been aided in con- 

 nection with the temperature, pressure, radiation, and other features 

 of the atmosphere at very high altitudes, and many other lines of 

 investigation have been carried on, through all of which it is believed 

 that valuable knowledge has been acquired by which the welfare 

 of man has been advanced. 



HODGKINS AND LANGLEY MEDALS. 



The Hodgkins gold medal was established by the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution to be awarded for important contributions to the knowledge 

 of the nature and properties of atmospheric air, or for practical ap- 

 plications of existing knowledge to the welfare of mankind. It was 

 first bestowed April 3, 1899, on Prof. James Dewar, F, R. S., and 

 second, October 28, 1902, on Prof. J. J. Thomson, F. R. S. 



The Langley medal was established in memory of the late Secre- 

 tary Samuel Pierpont Langley and his contributions to the science 

 of aerodromics, "to be awarded for specially meritorious investiga- 

 tions in connection with the science of aerodromics and its applica- 

 tion to aviation." This medal was presented in 1910 to the brothers 

 Wilbur and Orville Wright, and in 1913, to Mr, Glenn H. Curtiss and 

 Mons. Gustave Eiffel. 



PUBLICATIONS AND EXCHANGES. 



The " diffusion of knowledge," which, next to its " increase," was 

 so prominently in the mind of the founder of the Institution, was 

 provided for in the program of organization, submitted by Secre- 

 tary Henry to the Board of Regents in 1847, by a system of several 

 series of publications constituting original contributions to knowl- 

 edge, accounts of scientific explorations and investigations, and 

 papers recording the annual progress in the field of science, which 

 are distributed gratuitously to important libraries throughout the 

 world. 



