REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 53 



LECTURES AND MEETINGS. 



The lecture hall was used for lectures and meetings during the 

 year as follows: 



On March 9, 1905, the Hon. Andrew D. White, several times the 

 representative abroad of the United States, both as minister and 

 as ambassador, delivered the first lecture under the Hamilton fund 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, his subject being "The diplomatic 

 service of the United States, with some hints toward its reform." 

 A distinguished audience was present, the Secretary of the Insti- 

 tution presiding. 



On March 25 the U. S. Naval Medical School held its annual 

 commencement exercises here. The diplomas were presented to 

 the graduates by the President of the United States, and addresses 

 were made by Dr. W. H. Welch, of Johns Hopkins University, and 

 Medical Director R. A. Marmion, U. S. Navy, the director of the 

 school. 



The following Saturday afternoon lectures were delivered under the 

 auspices of the Biological Society of Washington, the attendance 

 ranging from about 300 to 600 : 



March IS, "Diatoms: The jewels of the plant world," by Dr. 

 Albert Mann. 



March 25, "Mosquitoes," by Dr. L. O. Howard. 



April 1, "Forest insects and their destructive work," by Dr. A. D. 

 Hopkins. 



April 8, "Beneficial bacteria," by Dr. George T. Moore. 



April 15, "Bruno, the black bear; a strange story of the north 

 woods," by Mr. William L. Underwood. 



April 22, "The life of a whale," by Dr. F. W. True. 



The National Academy of Sciences held its annual session in the 

 Museum building from April 18 to 20, the lecture hall being used for 

 the public meetings and the office of the assistant secretary for busi- 

 ness purposes. 



On May 3 the American Institute of Mining Engineers held one of 

 its sessions in the lecture hall. The delegates were received by the 

 assistant secretary, who spoke of the relations of the Institute to the 

 National Museum. Doctor Merrill, head curator of geology, dis- 

 cussed the division of applied geology in the Museum, after which the 

 members of the Institute visited the Department of Geology. 



Special facilities were afforded the delegates to the seventh session 

 of the International Railway Congress and the Exhibition of the 

 American Railway Appliance Association, held in Washington from 

 May 4 to 15, 1905, to study the technological exhibits, some of which 

 had been expressly assembled for the purpose, and an informal meet- 

 ing of some of the delegates was held in the mineralogical labora- 

 tory to discuss metallographic methods. 



