ADVERTISEMENT 



The object of the General Appendix to the Annual Report of the 

 Smithsonian Institution is to furnish brief accounts of scientific dis- 

 covery in particular directions; reports of investigations made by 

 staff members and collaborators of tlie Institution ; and memoirs of a 

 general character or on special topics that are of interest or value to 

 the numerous correspondents of the Institution. 



It has been a prominent object of the Board of Regents of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution from a very early date to enrich the annual report 

 required of them by law with memoirs illustrating the more remark- 

 able and important developments in physical and biological discovery, 

 as well as showing the general character of the operations of the Insti- 

 tution ; and, during the greater part of its history, the purpose has been 

 carried out largely by the publication of such papers as would possess 

 an interest to all attracted by scientific progress. 



In 1880, induced in part by the discontinuance of an annual sum- 

 mary of progress which for 30 years previously had been issued by 

 well-known private publishing firms, the Secretary had a series of 

 abstracts prepared by competent collaborators, showing concisely the 

 prominent features of recent scientific progress in astronomy, geology, 

 meteorology, physics, chemistry, mineralogy, botany, zoology, and 

 anthropology. This latter plan was continued, though not altogether 

 satisfactorily, down to and including the year 1888. 



In the report of 1889, a return was made to the earlier method of 

 presenting a miscellaneous selection of papers (some of them original) 

 embracing a considerable range of scientific investigation and discus- 

 sion. This method has been continued in the present report for 1955. 



Reprints of the various papers in the General Appendix may be 

 obtained, as long as the supply lasts, on request addressed to the Edi- 

 torial and Publications Division, Smithsonian Institution, Washing- 

 ton 25, D.C. 



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