LNTKODIJCTION. 



This paper is the fii'st part of a work th(^ intent of which is to 

 describe and illustrate the Foraminifera of tlie Atlantic Ocean, 

 especially those species which have occurred in the waters adjacent 

 to the shores of the United States, including- the wliole of the Gulf 

 of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, that being the area in whicli most 

 of the work of the vessels of the United States engaged in dredging 

 work has been done. This part includes onh' the family Astro- 

 rhizidae, which is the most primitive of any of the group. 



The various vessels of the United States Bureau of Plsiieries. 

 including the Baclie, Blueliyht, Speedvxll, Fiah Hawk, and especially 

 the Alhatross, liave accumulated a mass of (h'edged material con- 

 sisting of thousands of samples which fairly well represent the bottom 

 of the area mentioned. Besides, there are available a great many of 

 the samples of bottom obtained by the United States Coast and 

 Geodetic Survey. Other collections have also been used as will be 

 mentioned later. 



Except for the work of Dv. Jumes M. Flint, j)ublished in 1899, 

 ahere is almost nothing publisiied which deals in any considerable 

 tmount with the foraminifera of this region. The region of the 

 Xortli Sea and the waters about the British Isles have been the source 

 of a great mass of published records and a comparison with that area 

 is very interesting, 



I wish here to express my deep aj^preciation of the many Idiid- 

 nesses and abundant help which the United States National Museum 

 and its staff have so unstintingly given me in the study of tliis 

 material and in the preparation of this work. 



Joseph Augustine Cushman. 



