8 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1920. 



The disbursements, which are described in the annual report of the 

 executive committee, amounted to $160,606.79, leaving a balance on 

 deposit Avith the Treasurer of the United States, in cash and in bank, 

 amounting to $13,304.34. 



The Institution was charged by Congress with the disbursement 

 of the following appropriations for the year ending June 30, 1920 : 



international Exchanges $45, 000 



American Etlmology 42,000 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature 7,500 



Astropliysical Observatory 13. 000 



National Museum : , 



Furniture and fixtures 20, 000 



Heating and lighting ^ 69,715 



Preservation of collections 300, 000 



Building repairs 10, 000 



Books 2,000 



Postage 500 



Heating equipment, Aircraft Building 14,000 



National Zoological Park 115, 000 



Increase of compensation (indefinite) 



Total 638, 715 



. In addition to the above, there was included under the general ap- 

 propriation for printing and binding an allotment of $76,200 to cover 

 the cost of printing and binding the Smithsonian annual report and 

 reports and miscellaneous printing for the Government branches of 

 the Institution. 



RESEARCHES AND EXPLORATIONS. 



Every year the Institution sends out or participates in, so far as 

 its limited means will permit, expeditions for the purpose of increas- 

 ing scientific knowledge in various parts of the world which have 

 been previously but imperfectly known to science. In former years 

 every continent and nearly every country on the globe has been vis- 

 ited by Smithsonian scientific explorers, and the result has been the 

 accumulation of a valuable mass of information on the people, fauna, 

 flora, geology, geography, ethnology, etc., of the various regions 

 visited. Many of the more important results of these expeditions 

 have been published by the Institution, and thereby have the chief 

 objects of the Smithsonian as laid down by its founder, " the increase 

 and diffusion of knowledge among men," been carried out. 



While the prevailing universal high costs have considerably re- 

 duced the effectiveness of the Institution's funds for research and 

 exploration, nevertheless several expeditions were in the field during 

 the past year, and the activities of some of these are here briefly 

 described. 



