PREFACE. 



The design of the present work is to furnish a brief, yet 

 sufficiently full, mention of the more important discoveries 

 in the various departments of science during the year 1871, 

 selecting, however, only such as appear likely to excite a 

 general interest, or to be of lasting importance. The spe- 

 cial student of Astronomy, of Chemistry, or of the physical 

 sciences generally, of Natural History in any of its brandi- 

 es, etc., will, of course, not confine himself to the brief ab- 

 stracts of a work like this. Such persons can only be satis- 

 fied with the publications devoted particularly to their sev- 

 eral chosen departments of science, in the pages of which 

 they may hope to be enabled to pursue their studies and in- 

 vestigations through all the minutest details of progress. 



The very complete series of publications of learned soci- 

 eties, and of journals specially devoted to various branches 

 of science, belonging to the Smithsonian Institution, have 

 been kindly placed at the service of the editor by its Secre- 

 tary. With the facilities thus furnished for surveying the 

 field of science, with the aid, in addition, of numerous for- 

 eign and domestic scientific serials received by mail for 

 use in this connection (enumerated at the end of the vol- 

 ume), the editor trusts that not much of a general interest 

 or importance has been overlooked. 



In providing for the general public, there is, of course, a 

 great margin for varying tastes and judgment, and no two 

 minds would probably agree exactly as to what should be 

 selected and what omitted. In making his choice, the edi- 

 tor has endeavored to do proper justice to all the various 

 subjects of scientific interest and research, and to neglect 

 nothing of real interest, and he has endeavored not to al- 

 low his own partialities to influence him unduly in his se- 



