Arizona republican., 1907-07-22
WHAT IT HAS DONE
 AND Is GOING 10 DO
The Broad and Increasing Field Cover en by The Smithsonian institution.

Washington, July 15.-(Special cor respondence of The Republican)-The operation of the Smithsonian Institu- ton Is unique among the establish- ments of the United States government in that, deriving it's own proper sup port from the Smithson fund, a pri- vate foundation. it has from time to time had placed in it's charge various branches of government scientific work. These branches, to be sure, are all of them outgrowths of researches initiated through the Institution and later adopted and fostered by govern ment aid. The practical importance of several former investigations of the Institution have been realized to such an extent that, like the Bureau of Fisheries, the Weather Bureau and perhaps biological bureaus now in cluded in the Department of Agricul- ture, they have been weaned entirely and conducted as separate branches of the government service.
 As the Smithsonian Institution now operates, there are included under it's administration the National Museum (and in connection with it the Nation al Gallery of ArD the Bureau of Amer ican Ethnology, the system of Inter national Exchanges, the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, the Astrophysical Observatory and the National Geological Park.
 From the income of the Smithson fund and from contingent funds, special researches are conducted in fields not covered by other govern caia htrrn xuh hA fields be the measuring of pressure and temperature at high attitudes. the studying of eclipses. the tracing of geologic strata, or determining the principles of flight. And for the ''in- crease and diffusion of knowledge among men" the words of the Smith son bequest, many scientific and pop ular works are issued to libraries and institutions throughout the world.
 Aided partly by Smithson funds. and partly by special government appro- priations. several investigators are at present in the field. MT. C. W.sGilmore of the National Museum is in Alaska undertaking chronological eXplora- tions. with a special view to securing specimens of fossil mammals. MT. Gill; more's researches, which follow upon discoveries made several years ago by Mir Maddren, are to extend over two seasons and are confined to the Yukon Basin and Buckland River region.
 Under very recent Smithsonian grant. MT. Bailey Willis of the U. $. Geological Survey. is directed to pro- ceed to Europe for thorough study of the puzzling geologic structure of the S,,,- l.xx European geologists.
 Plans have been made for a Smith sonian eclipse expedition in charge of Mir. c. G. Abbot, director of the As trophysical Observatory. to observe from Flint Island in the Southern Pa cific. the total eclipse of the sun to oc- cur January 3. 1908. MT. Abbot is to observe the heating effect of the suns corona and to decide if possible. more particularly the causes of corOnal light. MT. Bbbot will work with Pro- lessor w. w. Campbell of the Lick Observatory.
 In connection with examinations of the boundary surveys of the Forty ninth parallel. the United States part of which has been placed in charge of MT. Tittman of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Secretary Walcott of the Institution. MT. Walcott will make a geological study of the Cambrian and pro- -Cambrian sections of British Col umbia and endeavor to trace the con- tinuance of the rocks comprising the southward into Montana and Idaho.
 Investigations along technical lines are being conducted through the
 
 pondents of the Institution. A Hodg- kins grant was recently approved in favor of pr. R. vOn Lendenfeld of the Geological Institute at Prague to en- able the continuance of his studies of the organs of flight of birds and in sects which in this period of experi- menting in aerial navigation are of vital present interest.