Miscellaneous Intelligence. 159 



It would be interesting here, were it possible, to quote from it, 

 and further to follow out the successive steps in the establish- 

 ment of the Institution as traced by Dr. Goode, from the death 

 of Smithson in Genoa, in 1829, and the announcement of the 

 Smithson bequest in September, 1835, to the final Act of Congress 

 by which the Institution was established in 1846. But those 

 interested must turn for these facts to the volume itself. 



Probably few people not immediately connected with the Insti- 

 tution appreciate how actively its work is carried on. and through 

 what a wide range of departments its influence is felt. The 

 reader who will study Chapters VII to XIV will gain a new 

 insight into the subject, and appreciate in how remarkable a man- 

 ner Smithson's bequest has borne fruit. We have described here 

 the founding and development of the Library ; again the growth 

 of the Scientific Collections from the earliest years, expanded, as 

 they are now, into the United States National Museum ; the work 

 in the study of American Ethnology; the remarkable system of 

 International Exchanges for scientific publications ; the Astro- 

 Physical Observatory; the National Zoological Park, founded 

 within recent years ; the work of the Institution in exploration in 

 many fields ; and, finally, its various series of publications, by 

 means of which it puts in the hands of the public many papers 

 and volumes which would otherwise be inaccessible or perhaps 

 not brought to light at all. 



The latter portion of the volume is devoted to chapters which 

 summarize the work which has been accomplished by the Institu- 

 tion in the various departments of science, each written by a 

 specialist in that line ; also other chapters, as one by President 

 D. C. Gilman, showing what the Smithsonian has done in cooper- 

 ation with other institutions of learning, and another by Dr. J. S. 

 Billings describing its influence in the development of libraries, 

 the organization of societies, and the publication of scientific 

 literature in the country. 



A striking proof that the value of the work of the Institution 

 has been thoroughly appreciated by those who have had the 

 opportunity to be near it, is seen by the numerous gifts that have 

 been made to it by private individuals for particular ends, usually 

 in the form of bequests, but also by living donors, as the gift of 

 $5000 by Alexander Graham Bell for astro-physical research. 

 The most important of all the bequests received was that establish- 

 ing the Hodgkins fund of $200,000, subsequently increased by 

 $50,000 more. 



It is obviously impossible within the limits of the present 

 notice to do full justice to this beautiful volume, with the large 

 number of interesting facts which it contains, and the numerous 

 fine portraits of those gentlemen who have been most closely con- 

 nected with its history. It must suffice if this summary of its 

 contents shall have accomplished the object of leading those 

 interested in science to inlorm themselves of the great work 

 which the munificence of Smithson has made possible. 



