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 investigation and explora- 

 tions made by staff members and collaborators of the 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, this 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 

 satisfactory, 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 1956. 



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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