EEPOET OF THE SECRETAEY. 15 



bring the teeth of several individuals near enough together to admit 

 a direct comparison. To obviate this difficulty, the teeth have been 

 photographed natural size. Series of these photographs arranged 

 closely side by side permit direct critical comparison of a number of 

 specimens at one time, favoring the recognition of resemblances and 

 differences not easily detected from the specimens. This method 

 would seem to be available in the case of other groups of large 

 mammals. 



Owing to the desirability of completing the study of the bears as 

 early as possible, but little field work was undertaken. Still, a few 

 tribes of Indians were visited, and half a dozen vocabularies col- 

 lected, completing the series- of vocabularies of the 25 existing lin- 

 guistic stocks of California and Nevada. 



AMERICAN SCHOOL OF ARCHEOLOGY IN CHINA. 



At a meeting held at the Smithsonian Institution on January 3, 

 1913, there was discussed the establishment of an American school of 

 archeology in China. The objects of the school as proposed are: 

 (1) To pro'secute archeological research in eastern China; (2) to 

 afford opportunity and facilities for investigation to promising and 

 exceptional students, both foreign and native, in Asiatic archeology ; 

 and (3) to preserve objects of archeological and cultural interest in 

 museums in the countries to which they pertain in cooperation with 

 existing organizations, such as the Societe d'Ankor, etc. 



The management of the affairs of the school was placed in the 

 hands of an executive committee of five, consisting of Dr. Charles D. 

 Walcott, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; Mr. Charles 

 Henry Butler, reporter of the United States Supreme Court; Dr. 

 Harry Lane Wilson, of Johns Hopkins. University ; Mr. Charles L; 

 Freer, of Detroit; and Mr. Eugene Meyer, jr., of New York. The 

 general committee consists of 15 gentlemen especially interested in 

 archeological research in China, with Dr. Walcott as chairman and 

 Mr. Butler as secretary. Arrangements were made for a preliminary 

 survey in the Chinese Republic for the information of the general 

 committee in considering the permanent organization of the proposed 

 school. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The publications issued by the Smithsonian Institution and its 

 branches during the last fiscal year made a total of 6,260 printed 

 pages, and the aggregate distribution comprised 182,883 copies of 

 pamphlets and bound volumes. 



The Institution accomplishes one of its principal objects, " the 

 diffusion of knowledge," by means of its several series of publications 

 which record results of original researches,, accounts of explorations, 



