Miscellaneous Intelligence. 161 



ability long shown in his effective administration of the Geologi- 

 cal Survey ; under him we may look forward to a development of 

 the Smithsonian to a still higher degree of efficiency. It is to be 

 hoped that the duties of the office will not be so arduous as to 

 interfere with his desire to follow in the footsteps of his predeces- 

 sors in carrying forward research work in his own department of 

 geology and paleontology. 



In discussing the special problems in connection with the Insti- 

 tution, attention is called by the Secretary to the fact that while 

 its activities are most varied, and call for a large expenditure each 

 year, its specific endowment is somewhat less than 81,000,000, 

 one-quarter of which belongs to the Hodgkins research fund estab- 

 lished in 1891. The Institution has been liberally treated by 

 Congress, receiving $1,000,000 for the year ending June 30th, 

 1907, and $1,750,000 for the current year including the amount 

 called for by the new Museum building. Notwithstanding this 

 support from the Government, however, there are many lines of 

 work in which the Institution is interested, which lie outside of 

 those which the Government can properly be asked to support. In 

 order that it should accomplish, therefore, the fullest amount of 

 usefulness, a large increase of its endowment fund is called for. 



The Institution has distributed through the year nearly 33,000 

 volumes and separates of its various publications. Of the Annual 

 Report 10,000 copies are printed, most of which go to public libra- 

 ries, and thus bring within the reach of many readers the perma- 

 nent results of the year's progress in science. In addition to the 

 above, a plan has been initiated of distributing abstracts of the 

 publications of the Institution and also special articles on the 

 investigations in progress, which have been distributed and widely 

 used by the daily newspapers. 



The present report gives a concise statement of the various 

 special subjects which have been under investigation, including 

 those supported by the income of the Hodgkins fund ; also an 

 account of the various other functions of the Institution, all of 

 which must be carefully read before its full activity can be appre- 

 ciated. In regard to the progress on the new building for the 

 National Museum, it is stated that there is every reason to expect 

 that the work will be completed and the building ready for occu- 

 pancy by the beginning of 1909. It is proposed to devote it to 

 the scientific and historical collections, while the present Museum 

 building, which has been extensively repaired, will be employed 

 for the development of the department of arts and industries. 

 Further, the upper exhibition hall of the Smithsonian building 

 proper is to be used for the fine arts collection, and the lower 

 hall for a library, containing also certain exposition series. The 

 department of international exchanges has now so fully devel- 

 oped that the number of packages annually handled is about 

 200,000, weighing over 200 tons. In this way correspondence is 

 carried on with over 58,000 establishments and individuals, 

 46,500 of which are outside of the United States. 



