256 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 165. 



Bequest of Simeon Habel, 1880 500.00 



Deposits from proceeds oE sale of bonds, 



1881 51,500.00 



Gift of Thomas G. Hodgkins, 1891 200,000.00 



Portion of residuary legacy, T. G. Hodg- 

 kins, 1894 8,000.00 



Total permanent fund 912,000.00 



The Regents also hold certain approved 

 railroad bonds, forming a part of the fund 

 established by Mr. Hodgkins for investiga- 

 tions of the properties of atmospheric air. 



By Act of Congress approved by the Presi- 

 dent March 12, 1894, an amendment was 

 made to Section 5591 of the Eevised Statutes, 

 the fundamental act organizing the Institu- 

 tion, as follows : 



The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and 

 directed to receive into the Treasury, on the same 

 terms as the original bequest of James Smithson, such 

 sums as the Eegents may, from time to time, fee fit 

 to deposit, not exceeding, witli the original bequest, 

 the sum of §1,000,000; Provided, That this shall not 

 operate as a limitation on the power of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution to receive money or other property 

 by gift, bequest or devise, and to hold and dispose of 

 the same in promotion of the purposes thereof. 



Under this section, 5591 of the Revised 

 Statutes, modified as above noted, the above 

 fund of $912,000 is deposited in the Treas- 

 ury of the United States, bearing interest 

 at 6 per cent, per annum, the interest alone 

 being used in carrying out the aims of the 

 Institution. 



During the fiscal year 1886-97 Congress 

 charged the Institution with the disburse- 

 ment of the following appropriations : 



For International Exchanges $19,000 



For North American Ethnology 45,000 



For United States National Museum : 



Preservation of collections 153,225 



Furniture and fixings 15,000 



Heating and lighting 13,000 



Postage 500 



Repairs to buildings 4,000 



Rent of Workshops 2,000 



Galleries 8,000 



For National Zoological Park 67,000 



For Astrophysical Observatory 10,000 



The executive committee has examined 



all the vouchers for disbursements made 

 during the fiscal year, and a detailed state- 

 ment of the receipts and expenditures will 

 be found reported to Congress, in accord- 

 ance with the provisions of the Sundry Civil 

 Acts of October, 2, 1888, and August 5, 

 1892, in a letter addressed to tbe Speaker 

 of the House of Representatives. 



The vouchers for all the expenditures 

 from the Smithsonian fund proper have 

 been likewise examined and their correct- 

 ness certified to by the executive commit- 

 tee, whose statement will be published, to- 

 gether with the accounts of the funds ap- 

 propriated by Congress, in that committee's 

 report. 



The estimates for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1898, for carrying on the Govern- 

 ment interests under the charge of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, and forwarded as 

 usual to the Secretary of the Treasury, were 

 as follows : 



International Exchanges $23,000 



American Ethnology 50,000 



National Museum : 



Preservation of collections 180,000 



Furniture and Fixtures 30,000 



Heating and lighting 15,000 



Postage 500 



Galleries 8,0QO 



Repairs to buildings 8,000 



Removal of sheds 2,500 



Rentof workshops 2,000 



National Zoological Park 75,000 



Astrophysical Observatory 10,000 



AVERY FUND. 



In regard to the bequest of Mr. Robert 

 Stanton Avery, referred to in previous 

 reports, a definite settlement has not been 

 reached with the heirs at law, so that it is 

 not possible to state the exact amount that 

 this fund will reach. 



BUILDINGS. 



No important changes were made in the 

 Smithsonian Building during the year. Two 

 museum storage sheds adjacent to the 



