PROCEEDINGS OP THE BOARD OP REGENTS. 101 



atmospheric air and for his discovery of the extraordinary magnetic 

 properties of liquid oxygen. The second award of the medal was 

 to Prof. J. J. Thomson in 1902 for his investigations on the conduc- 

 tivity of gases, especially on the gases that compose atmospheric air. 

 It is now proposed to award a third Hodgkins medal, provided it 

 is determined that sufficiently meritorious discoveries or investiga- 

 tions of the character mentioned have been made, and in order to 

 pass upon the matter an advisory committee on award has been 

 appointed. 



PUBLICATION FUND FOR THE INSTITUTION. 



The secretary stated that under the general appropriation for 

 public printing and binding, the Institution is allotted $10,000 for the 

 printing of its annual reports, but that its other publications were 

 paid for from private funds of the Institution. 



He exhibited a set of the publications issued by the Institution 

 and its branches during the past two years, many of which had been 

 published at the cost of the Institution. 



Mr. Mann inquired if the secretary would like to have a larger 

 edition of the annual report, to which the secretary replied that it 

 would be desirable. Mr. Mann responded that this might be possible 

 by a special resolution for any one year. 



There was some further discussion, during which it was suggested 

 that it would be proper for the secretary to speak of the matter of 

 an appropriation for the publications of Smithsonian works when 

 he was before the Committee on Appropriations. 



DEATH OF OCTAVE CHANUTE. 



The secretary recalled to the board that when the committee on 

 award of the Langley medal was appointed, Mr. Octave Chanute 

 was designated its chairman. Mr. Chanute died on November 23 

 last. His eminence as an engineer and his own important work in 

 the science of aeronautics peculiarly fitted him for the duties of 

 chairman of this committee, and his death will be a severe blow to the 

 new science. 



The secretary added that it seemed best to defer the selection of his 

 successor as chairman of the committee for the present. 



FULLER MEMORIAL SERVICE. 



Senator Cullom said that he thought some more formal action 

 should be taken in regard to the death of Chief Justice Fuller than 

 had been adopted at this meeting, and inquired whether the matter 

 was being considered. 



