﻿EXPLORATIONS AND FIELD-WORK OF THE 

 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION IN 1926 



INTRODUCTION 



Field-work is essential to the advance of nearly all branches of 

 science, particularly those which the Smithsonian Institution is at 

 present engaged in promoting", namely, geology, biology, anthropology, 

 and astrophysics. The Institution therefore embraces every opportu- 

 nity of putting expeditions in the field to obtain desired information or 

 collections, either under its own auspices through financial assistance 

 from its friends, or in cooperation with other agencies which will 

 benefit equally from the work. During the past year more expeditions, 

 in which the Smithsonian was represented, have gone out than ever 

 before, and this in spite of the fact tliat the Institution has practi- 

 cally no unrestricted funds for field-work. Had it the unfettered 

 income from an adequate endowment, much more extensive field-work 

 in accordance with a definite plan would be accomplished each year, 

 and the advance along the whole front of human knowledge would 

 be greatly accelerated. The Smithsonian holds in abeyance a number 

 of important projects in many branches of science, awaiting only 

 funds to finance them. These include researches, nearly all of 

 which involve work in the field, in astrophysics, meteorology, oceanog- 

 raphy, entomology, zoology, botany, geology, archeology and eth- 

 nology, physical anthropology, mathematics, and chemistry. 



The present pamphlet is intended as a preliminary announcement of 

 the results of the year's field-work. The accounts, although written in 

 the third person, were for the most part prepared by the participants in 

 the various expeditions, and the photographs taken by them. 



FIELD-WORK IN ASTROPHYSICS 



Does the sun vary, and if so, what efl:'ects on our weather do the 

 changes of solar heat produce? For eight years the field-work of the 

 Astrophysical Observatory has been aimed to solve this question. 

 With the generous aid of Mr. John x\. Roebling, special observatories 

 were erected on desert mountains in Chile, Arizona, and California. 



Daily reports of the condition of the sun are received from the 

 observers, who patiently carry on in these isolated deserts far from 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 78, No. 7 



