10 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 



may be mentioned " The Hydromedusae of the Bay of Naples " 

 and " Eegeneration in Rhizostoma pulmo," were published by Dr. 

 Hargitt as a result of his former appointment, and a report of his 

 work during the present year is now in hand. He mentions with 

 appreciation the cordial welcome accorded him by the director and 

 staff of the laboratory, and the generosity with which the facilities 

 for his work were provided. 



Two papers embodying the results of Dr. Hargitt's recent investi- 

 gations have been completed since his term at Naples, and are now 

 in course of publication in the Journal of Experimental Zoology. 



The application of Dr. Ch. Zeleny, associate professor of zoology 

 in the University of Illinois, was approved for one month's occu- 

 pancy, to cover part of June and July, 1911. No summary of the 

 work accomplished during this peviod has yet been received from 

 Dr. Zeleny. 



When the same period is selected by more than one student the 

 earliest application is considered first, the approval of the later ones 

 becoming necessarily dependent on the ability of the station to pro- 

 vide for more than one Smithsonian appointee at the same time. 

 It should be added that the obliging courtesy shown in this connec- 

 tion to appointees of the Smithsonian Institution by the director of 

 the station often permits appointments to the seat which would 

 otherwise be impracticable. 



The prompt and efficient aid of the advisory committee in examin- 

 ing and reporting on applications for the table is still, as it has al- 

 ways been, of great service to the Institution and is very thoroughly 

 appreciated. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The Smithsonian Institution and its branches distributed during 

 the past year nearly 200,000 copies of their various publications. 

 These were sent chiefly to libraries and learned institutions through- 

 out the world and to a limited list of specialists in the subjects 

 discussed. It would be impracticable, without a very great increase 

 in the size of the editions, to meet the popular demand for copies of 

 Smithsonian publications. In the case, however, of the publications 

 issued by the Government bureaus under direction of the Institu- 

 tion, which are printed under congressional appropriations, the law 

 provides that they may be purchased by all who desire them at a 

 slight advance over the cost of printing by application to the Super- 

 intendent of Documents. 



It is through its publications that the Smithsonian Institution per- 

 forms one of its principal functions — the diffusion of knowledge. 

 Two series of works are issued by the Institution proper at the ex- 

 pense of the Smithsonian funds, namely, Smithsonian Contributions 



