24 EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



publications of the U. S, National Mnseuni, comprising its "Bulletins" 

 and its "Proceedings.'" Tlie Bulletins of the National Museum were 

 instituted for the pur])ose of furnishing a prompt publication of origi- 

 nal descriptions of specimens received, and of thus illustrating the 

 mineral, botanical, zoological, and ethnological collections belonging to 

 the Museum. They consist of monographs on biological subjects, check- 

 lists, taxonomic systems, etc., and are prepared mainly by the curators 

 and other attaches of the establishment. This series was commenced 

 in 1875, and now numbers thirty-two Bulletins. These memoirs, from 

 their variety of subject, are naturally of very unequal extent, ranging 

 from fifty to over one thousand pages. Collected, they form nine large- 

 sized octavo volumes. 



The Proceedings of the National Museum consist of shorter and less 

 elaborate papers, designed to give early accounts of its recent acces- 

 sions, or of freshly acquired facts relating to natural history, etc., and 

 are promptly issued in single " signatures," as soon as matter sufficient 

 to fill sixteen jiages has been, prepared, the date of issue being given 

 on each signature. These " Proceedings " thus partake of the character 

 of an irregular periodical, the numbers of which — continuously paged — 

 form an annual volume. 



This series was commenced in 1878, and now extends to nine annual 

 volumes, averaging about 650 pages, and illustrated with numerous 

 wood-cut plates. Both these series of publications of the National 

 Museum hav^e hitherto been printed at the expense of a fund under the 

 authority of the Interior Department; but it is proposed to ask for 

 legislation which will iiermit them to be printed at the Government 

 Printing Office on the requisition of your secretary. 



The third and last series to be mentioned comprises the annual re- 

 ports of the Bureau of Ethnology, which are large-sized volumes of royal 

 octavo forui, well printed and well illustrated with cuts and lithographic 

 plates. These volumes (of which four only have thus far been issued, but 

 of which the material for four more awaits the printer) present matter 

 of great interest to the anthroj^ologist, and in their production reflect 

 credit upon the scientificstaff of the Bureau of Ethnology. 



Distribution of publications. — Since the diffusion of knowledge, next 

 to efforts for its increase, is one of the principal functions and duties of 

 the Institution, it would doubtless be desirable if we could offer a copy 

 of its works to every intelligent inquirer specially interet^ted in any 

 subject of which some of these volumes might tfeat. Since, however, 

 the Institution can not afford to print, in ordinary cases, more than 

 from 1,250 to 1 ,500 copies of one work, three-fourths of which are required 

 to be supplied to our regular list of " correspondents," for the mainte- 

 nance of our exchange series, it has been found necessary to restrict the 

 gratuitous distribution to these, and to hold the small reserve, more 

 strictly than in earlier times, for sale to those sufficiently interested to 

 purchase them. 



