REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 19 



been asseni])led. The I'esults of the investit>-atio!i show tliat several 

 Ameriean species which Imve been proposed are (pute certainly nomi- 

 nal, and that, as a whol6.r the^ species of the Atlantic coast of North 

 America can not be distinguished from those of European waters. 

 Some attention has been paid to the whales of the North Pacific. The 

 information previoiisly recorded has been brought together in orderly 

 sequence and various new facts added, but the amount of material at 

 present available is insufficient to serve as a basis for discrimination 

 of closely allied species. It is certain, however, that the whales of 

 the North Pacific, with one exception, bear an extremely close resem- 

 blance to those of the North Atlantic. The California Gray whale, 

 B/i<(vh!aneetcs (jldHcits^ has no counterpart in the Atlantic. One well 

 known European species, the Pollack whale, Bdhrnopicrd l><)reaUi<, not 

 previously known in North American waters, was observed at the New- 

 foundland whaling stations while this volume was passing through the 

 press. The illustrations include views of the type specimens of the 

 species proposed by Cope and Scannnon; also numerous representa- 

 tions of the different indi\iduals of the Connuon Einback and the 

 Suli)hur])ottom, from photographs taken by the author at the New- 

 foundland whaling stations. The latter ai'e of special value for the 

 study of individual variation in these huge animals. 



The series of Sujithsonian Miscellaneous Collections is intended to 

 mclude all the pu])lications issued directly ]>y the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion in octavo form, excepting the Annual Report, which is a Con- 

 gressional document. In the Collections are included reports on the 

 present state of our knowledge of particular Itranches of science; 

 instructions for collecting and digesting facts and materials foi' 

 research; lists and synopses of species of the oi'ganic iuid inorganic 

 world; Museum catalogues; reports of explorations; aids to biblio- 

 graphical investigations, etc., generally prepared at the ex})ress request 

 of the Institution and at its expense. 



A NEW (U'AKTEKLY ISSUE. 



Since 1862, when the series of Miscellaneous Collections was begun, 

 there have been pul)lished 45 volumes, made up of several hundred 

 individual papers. 



In order to afford a medium for the early publication of the results 

 of researches conducted by the Smithsonian Institution and its l)ureaus, 

 and especially for the publication of reports of a preliminary natur(>, 

 I have decided dui'ing the past year to cstal)lish a quarterly issue of 

 the Miscellaneous (Jollections, which shall not supersede the regular 

 series, but be a part of it. Each number of the quarterly is planned 

 to consist of about 144 pages of text and to ])e suitably illustrated. 

 The first volume has been completed, and makes a book of 4(>o psiges. 



