REPORT 



OF THE 



SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



CHARLES D. WALCOTT 



FOR THE YEAR ENDING fUNE 30, 1 9 IS. 



To the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution: 



Gentlemen: I have the honor to submit herewith the annual 

 report on the operations of the Smithsonian Institution and its 

 branches during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1915, including work 

 placed by Congress under the direction of the Board of Regents in 

 the United States National Museum, the Bureau of American Eth- 

 nology, the International Exchanges, the National Zoological Park, 

 the Astrophysical Observatory, and the United States Bureau of 

 the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. 



The general report reviews the affairs of the Institution proper 

 and briefly summarizes the operations of its several branches, while 

 the appendices contain detailed reports by the assistant secretary 

 and others directly in charge of various activities. The reports on 

 operations of the National Museum and the Bureau of American 

 Ethnology will also be published as independent volumes. 



THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



THE ESTABLISHMENT. 



The Smithsonian Institution was created an establishment by act 

 of Congress approved August 10, 1846. Its statutory members are 

 the President of the United States, the Vice President, the Chief 

 Justice, and the heads of the executive departments. 



THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 



The Board of Regents consists of the Vice President and the 

 Chief Justice of the United States as ex officio members, three Mem- 

 bers of the Senate, three Members of the House of Representatives, 

 and six citizens, " two of whom shall be resident in the city of Wash- 

 ington and the other four shall be inhabitants of some State, but no 

 two of them of the same State." 



In regard to the personnel of the board there were no changes 

 during the fiscal year. The roll of Regents on June 30 was as fol- 

 lows : Edward D. White, Chief Justice of the United States, Chan- 

 18618°— SM 1915- 1 1 



