12 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



mentary memoir by tlie joint authors embraces an examination into tlic 

 physical and chemical characteristics of the venoms of various rattle- 

 snakes {Crotalidcc), of the moccasin (Ancistrodon), and also of the 

 hooded viper {Cobra), of India; the re-actions of various agents on the 

 venom, the physiological effects of the venoms on serous surfaces, on 

 the nervous system, on the circulation, on respiration, &c., and the 

 general pathology of the subject. In an appendix of 21 pages is given 

 a very full bibliography of the literature of the subject, brought down 

 to date. The work forms a quarto volume of x + 186 pages, illustrated 

 by 4 figures or wood cuts in the text, and 5 chromolithographic i^lates. 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. — Of this series there are already 

 on hand published articles sufificiont to form a number of volumes ; al- 

 though such formal collection and issue of numbered volumes has been 

 unavoidably postponed by other i^ressiug requirements, fully employ- 

 ing the available funds of the Institution. The new publications in 

 this series during the past year have been as follows : 



512. " List of Institutions in the United States receiving publications 

 of the Smithsonian Institution." This list comprises the titles of 1,838 

 domestic institutions, not including a considerable number of libraries 

 and individuals receiving various special publications irregularly. The 

 catalogue forms an octavo pamphlet of 72 pages. 



514. " A Catalogue of Scientific and Technical Periodicals (1GG5 to 

 1882), together with Chronological Tables, and a Check-List." By 

 Henry Carrington Bolton. As stated by the compiler, in his preface : 

 " This catalogue is intended to contain the principal periodicals of every 

 branch of pure and applied science, published in all countries, from the 

 rise of this literature to the close of the year 1882." What are known 

 as professional journals (those relating specially to theology, law, and 

 medicine), as well as those relating to music and the fine arts, have 

 been omitted. " While medicine has been excluded, anatomy, physi- 

 ology, and veterinary science, being related to zoology, have been ad- 

 mitted. With a few exceptions, serials published by learned societies 

 have been omitted j those admitted either form part of a series begun 

 or ending in an independent periodical, or are presumably not exclu. 

 sively devoted to the proceedings of the societies by which they are 

 edited. The admission of society publications to this catalogue would 

 swell the volume to an inconrenient size; and has been rendered unnec. 

 essary by the publication of the ' Catalogue of Scientific Serials,' by Mr. 

 S. U. Scudder." This very complete list of the periodicals indicated, 

 numbering over 5,000 titles, is -arranged alphabetically, and extends to 

 615 Images. 



The catalogue is followed by 91 pages of " Chronological Tables," in 

 smaller type, arranged in columns by years, giving a synchronal con- 

 spectus of all those periodicals having any considerable number of vol- 

 umes, and showing the precise number of the volume published in any 



