Februaey 10, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



197 



seat at Naples for an additional month dur- 

 ing the spring of 1898. 



Dr. J. H. Gerould, of Dartmouth College, 

 who prosecuted his investigations in the 

 laboratory of Professor De Lacaze-Du- 

 thiers, at Eoscoflf, Finisterre, France, dur- 

 ing the summer, was appointed to the 

 Smithsonian table at JSTaples for the month 

 of November, 1898. 



EXPLOKATIONS. 



In the plan of organization of the Insti- 

 tution, among examples of objects for 

 which appropriations may be made, are 

 cited : 



Explorations in descriptive natural history and 

 geological, raagnetical and topographical surveys to 

 collect materials for the formation of a Physical Atlas 

 of the United States. 



Ethnological researches, particularly with refer- 

 ence to the different men in North America ; also ex- 

 plorations and accurate surveys of the mounds and 

 other remains of the ancient people of our country.* 



The first grant made by the Institution 

 for scientific exploration and field research 

 was in 1848 to Spencer F. Baird, of Car- 

 lisle, for exploration of the bone caves and 

 the local natural history of southeastern 

 Pennsylvania ; and during the half century 

 that has elapsed since the grant to that 

 eminent man, who afterwards became the 

 Secretary of the Institution, every possible 

 encouragement and support has been given 

 to natural history and ethnological ex- 

 plorations in America and throughout the 

 world. The income of the Institution has 

 not permitted the expenditure of large 

 sums for this purpose, but valuable advice 

 and instructions have been freely given to 

 explorers connected with Government and 

 private expeditions, and agents of the In- 

 stitution have in very many cases partici- 

 pated in these explorations. In recent 

 years a vast amount of such work has been 

 carried on by the bureaus under direction 

 of the Institution, a work made possible by 



*Smlthsonian Report, 1846, pp. 6. 7- 



Congressional appropriations for this pur- 

 pose. 



As soon as there seemed a possibility of 

 acquiring new territories as a result of the 

 present Spanish-American war I began 

 formulating plans for exploring the possible 

 new regions, and in my next estimates to 

 be sent to Congress I expect to ask defi- 

 nitely for appropriations under which ex- 

 ploring parties may be sent to them. 



It is hardly necessary to recall the last- 

 ing impression that the French Govern- 

 ment made throught the researches of the 

 corps of savants sent along with the expe- 

 dition to Egypt. It would seem incumbent 

 upon this Government, not only from prac- 

 tical economic purposes, but as a contri- 

 bution to the general intelligence of man- 

 kind, to institute scientific inquiry as to 

 the natural history, geology, geography, 

 ethnology, archaeology and scientific utili- 

 ties of any new possessions it may acquire. 

 These inquiries should be made coherently 

 and without clashing on the part of the 

 various Government interests involved. 



During the present year investigations 

 among the American Indians have been 

 conducted by the Bureau of Ethnology, 

 and several collaborators of the Institution 

 have made natural history explorations. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



Secretary Henry said : " It is chiefly by 

 the publications of the Institution that its 

 fame is to be spread through the world, 

 and the monument most befitting the name 

 of Smithson erected to his memory." From 

 the beginning of the Institution a consid- 

 erable portion of its annual income has 

 been expended in publishing the Smith- 

 sonian Contributions to Knowledge and 

 the Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 

 Through these series, supplemented by the 

 Annual Reports printed at the direct ex- 

 pense of the Government, and the publica- 

 tions of the National Museum, the Bureau 



