SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, a literary, scientific, and philosophical in stitution, organized at Washington, D. C., by Act of Congress in 1846, pursuant to the will of James Smithson. The man agement of the institution is in the hands of regents appointed by the United States Government, and a spacious structure, containing a museum, library, cabinets of natural history, and lecture rooms, has been the result of their able administra tion of the testator's wishes. The library, carefully collected, is unsurpassed in the United States as a resource for scientific reference, while in its museum are col lected the rich acquisitions of national exploring expeditions. Some part of its income is devoted to scientific researches, and the production of works too costly for publication by private individuals. De partments of astronomy, ethnology, me teorology, and terrestrial magnetism, have been established. The United States Weather Bureau has grown out of its department of meteorology, and the United States Fish Commission was es tablished in connection with its work in ichthyology. Under its direction are the
United States National Museum; the Bu reau of International Exchanges; the Bureau of American Ethnology; the Astro-Physical Observatory; the National Zoological Park, Langley Aerodynamical Laboratory, Research Laboratory, Inter national Catalogue and American History Archives. Among the publications hith erto issued are the "Smithsonian Contri butions to Knowledge," 4to, distributed gratis to libraries; "Annual Reports"; "Miscellaneous Collections"; "Reports of the National Museum" (1884-1892) ; "Bulletins of the National Museum"; "Proceedings of the National Museum"; "Annual Reports of the Bureau of Eth nology"; and "Harriman Alaska Series." The periodical courses of lectures held in the institution by eminent scientists and savants form a prominent social feature of the national capital. The institution has had four secretaries: Joseph Henry (1846-1878) ; Spencer Fullerton Baird (1878-1887) ; Samuel Pierpont Langley (1887-1906) ; and Charles D. Walcott (1906---).