100 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 



In answer to Senator Bacon's inquiry as to the scope of the work 

 intended, the secretary said it was to cover studies of the animal 

 and plant life of the land and waters of the Canal Zone. Such a 

 survey is necessary before the canal is completed, as it is believed 

 that conditions will be changed after the canal is opened to commerce 

 and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean are joined with those of the 

 Pacific. The organisms of the various watersheds would then be 

 offered a ready means of mingling together, the natural barriers 

 would be obliterated, and the data for a true understanding of the 

 fauna and flora placed beyond reach. 



THE HARRIMAN TRUST AND GIFT. 



The secretary stated that he was desirous of establishing at the 

 Institution a number of research associateships. He wished to give 

 exceptionally strong men an opportunity to do research work with- 

 out the care and burden of administrative duties, and with full 

 knowledge that as long as their work was properly conducted it 

 would be continued and that in the event of incapacity for active 

 work, provision would be made for them. 



As an illustration, he cited the case of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, who 

 has been provided for through the liberality of Mrs. Edward H. 

 Harriman. He also mentioned that the Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington has a number of men engaged in special fields of work, 

 but added that there would be no probability of duplication of work. 

 The Carnegie Institution does not undertake exploratory work such 

 as that of the African expedition or the biological survey of the 

 Panama Canal Zone. The field for scientific investigation is exten- 

 sive and there are numerous worthy projects that can not be under- 

 taken because of lack of means. 



In this connection the secretary announced that Dr. Merriam's 

 splendid collection of American mammals had been purchased by 

 Mrs. Harriman for $10,000 and presented to the Institution. 



HODGKINS GOLD MEDAL. 



The secretary called the attention of the board to the establishment 

 some years ago of a gold medal under the name of " The Hodgkins 

 Medal of the Smithsonian Institution." This was in honor of Mr. 

 Thomas George Hodgkins, the donor of the Hodgkins fund, and was 

 to be awarded for exceptional contributions to our knowledge of 

 the nature and properties of atmospheric air, or for original and 

 practical applications of existing knowledge of the air to the welfare 

 of mankind. 



The first Hodgkins medal was awarded in 1898 to Prof. James 

 Dewar for his researches on the liquefaction and solidification of 



