July 21, 1898] 



NATURE 



273 



expeditions carried out by the United States Government, 

 which till then had been kept in the Patent Office ; and 

 in 1 861, the collections accumulated by the unfortunate 

 National Institute — a body which was swamped by its 

 own exertions, for its income did not suffice for it to cope 

 with the flood of materials which poured in from all 

 parts of the world in response to its appeals. To this 

 amalgamation of collections was given the name of the 

 United States National Museum, the whole being placed 

 under the care of the Smithsonian Institution, which 

 pursues the enlightened policy of freely distributing 

 duplicate type specimens to scientific institutions, of 

 presenting sets of general duplicates to colleges for 

 educational purposes, and even of lending original un- 

 described specimens to experienced men of science. 



The Bureau of American Ethnology is also a national 

 undertaking, placed under the direction of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. Its germ was an exploration of the 

 caiions of the Colorado, begun in 1867 by Major Powell, 

 which presently grew into a survey, first geographical, 

 then geological, and finally anthropological. In 1871 

 Congress made an appropriation to be expended under 

 the direction of the Smithsonian Institution for continuing 

 the explorations and surveys, and the organisation 

 became " The United States Geographical and Geo- 

 logical Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region." In 

 1874 the survey was transferred to the Department of 

 the Interior, and anthropological researches were made 

 more prominent. In 1879 there were four bureaus 

 engaged in surveys in the Western Territories, and these 

 were reorganised in the present Bureau of Ethnology, 

 under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 Appropriations are annually voted by Congress to enable 

 the Bureau to continue its researches, and publish its 

 results. Its publications, however, are limited to the 

 thoroughly digested scientific conclusions, and only 

 represent a fragment of the enormous amount of work 

 accomplished. What that work amounts to in bulk may 

 be better conceived from the statement that the fireproof 

 vaults of the " Smithsonian " contain MSS. under more 

 than 2000 titles, besides the material for a "Cyclopaedia 

 of Indian Tribes " upon 100,000 cards. 



Like the Bureau of Ethnology, the National Zoo- 

 logical Park is primarily American. It was commenced, 

 that is, mainly with a view to preserving animals, and 

 especially native animals, which were likely to become 

 extinct. It has not, however, been so generously treated 

 by the nation as some other departments of the Smith- 

 sonian work, and, like many things American, the 

 American Zoo fluctuates with American politics. It 

 began well. Dr. Langley had his dream, and a very 

 noble dream it was ; namely, to establish a park in which 

 the wild animals might live "as nearly as possible in the 

 conditions natural to them, so that they might breed and 

 thrive in captivity as in their native haunts." An almost 

 perfect spot was found for this purpose in Rock Creek, 

 with flowing water, varied aspects, and diflfering soils ; 

 sunny slopes, cool hillsides, level meadows and rocky 

 cliffs. It was purchased in 1889, and in the following 

 year an Act was passed placing the park under the 

 direction of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 The 185 living animals which the Institution already 

 possessed, and which had hitherto been kept huddled 

 together in low sheds and small paddocks, were transferred 

 to the park. All was going well, when, in 1891, "the 

 mutations of politics caused a change in the dominant 

 political party " — then, estimates were reduced, authority 

 to purchase animals was withdrawn, and even the question 

 of abolishing the park was considered. Notwithstanding 

 these difficulties, many successes have been attained, and 

 Secretary Langley lives in hopes of more adequate 

 Government support. 



The same "knack of hoping" has to be exercised by 



NO. 1499, VOL. 53] 



Dr. Langley in respect to the Astrophysical Observatory. 

 I Unlike the above-mentioned departments, the Smith- 

 ] sonian Observatory has received no aid from Congress. 

 This observatory, in which Dr. Langley has carried on 

 his excellent work under the greatest difficulties, he him- 

 self describes as " a one-story building, or rather shed," 

 erected on a site " surrounded by streets and traffic." It 

 was erected in 1890 in the grounds of the Institution, and 

 the expense of its erection and equipment was principally 

 defrayed by a donation of 5000 dollars from Dr. Graham 

 Bell, and a legacy of the same amount left by Dr. Kidder. 

 It is to be hoped that Dr. Langley's ardent desire for a 

 suitable permanent building on a suitable site may soon 

 meet with a response from the nation. 



The exploration work of the Institution has been very 

 notable. Nearly every Western expedition, whether 

 Government or private, of any magnitude, has received 

 aid from the Smithsonian Institution. That the Govern- 

 ment Surveys in particular, undertaken as they were for 

 definite, practical purposes, should have the scientific eye 

 following them, and usually a scientific corps attached to 

 them, has been of incalculable advantage for the increase 

 of knowledge. First came the surveys for railways and 

 waggon-roads across the public lands of the West. Then 

 the geological surveys of the same region. Then the 

 explorations of the sea coast, rivers, and lakes of the 

 States by the Fish Commission ; and investigations of the 

 North American Indians by the Bureau of Ethnology. 

 With all these Government activities the Institution has 

 been, either directly or indirectly, connected. In fine, to 

 quote the words of Mr. F. W. True, who here gives their 

 history, " the Smithsonian Institution has contributed to 

 the work of exploring the domain of nature not only 

 directly by setting on foot expeditions supported from its 

 own funds, and indirectly by aiding and equipping 

 numerous Government and private expeditions, but more 

 remotely as well by influencing independent workers to 

 explore in many lands, and to add new treasures to 

 the national collections." 



It is needless in a scientific journal to speak of the 

 importance of the publication work done by the Institu- 

 tion. The " Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge/' 

 and the "Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections" are 

 too well known to need any detailed notice. A thousand 

 copies are distributed every year to the leading scientific 

 libraries throughout the world. Neither is it necessary 

 to speak in detail of the liberal policy of the " Smith- 

 sonian" in its system of international exchanges, a 

 liberality which was furthered by the American Govern- 

 ment and met in a like spirit by the British Government, 

 scientific books sent as presents being exempt from duty 

 in both countries. This exchange system, in which until 

 1862 the Royal Society of London took part as the 

 forwarding agents for Great Britain, has been of immense 

 practical service to the scientific world. Finally, the 

 reader must be referred to the volume under review for 

 the "Appreciations" of the scientific work accomplished 

 by the Smithsonian Institution with which it closes. The 

 appreciations are interesting, but could scarcely be 

 epitomised within the space of a brief article like the 

 present. They are mostly written by well-known scientific 

 men in the United States : " Physics," by President 

 Mendenhall ; " Mathematics," by Prof. R. S. Woodward ; 

 "Astronomy," by Mr. Holden, Director of the Lick 

 Observatory; "Chemistry" and "Meteorology," by 

 Marcus Benjamin; "Geology" and "Mineralogy," by 

 Prof. Rice ; " Palaeontology," by Prof. Cope, of the Uni- 

 versity of Pennsylvania ; and so on through the fifteen 

 chapters into which the " Appreciations " are divided. 



Prof. Henry, the first of its three famous Secretaries, 

 often used to say " that co-operation, not monopoly, is the 

 watchword of the Smithsonian Institution. Its policy 

 has always been to devote itself to such useful fields of 



