CATALOGUE OF rUCLICATIONS. 487 



the Smithsonian lustiUition in octavo form; those in qnaito consiitiit- 

 iug the 'Smithsonian Contributions to Kno^yIcdge.' The quarto scries 

 includes memoirs, embracing the records of extended original investi- 

 gations and researches, resulting in what are believed to be new truths, 

 atul constituting positive additions to the sum of human knowledge. 

 The octavo series is designed to contain reports on the present state of 

 our knowledge of particular branches of science; instructions for col- 

 lecting and digesting facts and materials for research ; lists aiul syn- 

 opses of species of the organic and inorganic world ; museum cata- 

 logues; reports of explorations ; aids to bibliographical investigations, 

 etc. ; generally prepared at the express request of the Institution and 

 at its expense. 



"The position of a work in one or the other of the two scries will 

 sometimes depend upon whether the required illustrations can be pre- 

 sented .more conveniently in the quarto or the octavo form. 



"In the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, as well as in the 

 present series, each article is separately jiaged and indexed, and the 

 actual date of its publication is that given on its special title-page, ami 

 not that of the volume in which it is placed. In may cases works have 

 been published and largely distributed years before their combination 

 into volumes. 



"While due care is taken on the part of the Smithsonian Institution 

 to insiue a proper standard of excellence in its })ublications, it will be 

 readily understood that it can not hold itself responsible for the facts 

 and conclusions of the authors, as it is impossible in most cases to verify 

 their statements." 



The total number of papers published in the 30 volumes of "Miscel- 

 laneous Collections " is 140, each volume averaging 884 i)ages, with an 

 aggregate of 20,51G pages, 3,03.3 wood-cuts, and 48 plates. 



3. Anntuil Rcporis. 



By the act of Congress organizing the Institution it was made the 

 duty of the " Board of Regents to submit at each session a report of the 

 operations, expenditures, and condition of the Institution." Tliese an- 

 luuil reports form a third series of Smithsonian publications. They 

 consist of the reports of the Secretary to the Board of Eegents of the 

 operations and condition of the Institution ; the reports of committees 

 of the Board ; reports of lectures ; extracts from correspondence ; orig- 

 inal or translated articles relating to the history and progress of science, 

 etc. 



The first report was submitted by the Board to the second session of 

 the 20th Congress, 1847, and formed an octavo pamphlet of 38 pages. 

 A similar report was presented annually thereafter, varying in size 

 from G4 pages to 320, printed in pami^hlet form with paper covers up 

 to 1853, when Congress ordered the report to be bound in cloth. In the 

 volume for that year the essential portion of the contents of the pre- 

 ceding seven reports was reprinted, and this is now considered as the 

 first of a set of Smithsonian reports. The number of pages was limited 

 betweeti 1854 and 187G to 400. In the latter year this restriction was 

 removed, and since then the average number of pages has been GOO. 



