52 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892. 



BULLETIN OK THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Of the Bulletin, Parts A to E of No. 3i> have been issued. This Bulle- 

 tin is published in separate pamphlets, each one containing- instruc- 

 tions to collectors in some special department of natural history. The 

 manuscripts of Parts F (Directions for Collecting and Preserving In- 

 sects) and (J (Instructions for Collecting Mollusks, and other Useful 

 Hints for the < Vmcbologist) have been transmitted to the Public Printer. 

 It is hoped that this series of instructions to collectors will prove of 

 service to naturalists and others engaged in making natural history 

 collections, rt is probable that before very long additional contribu- 

 tions to this series will be made, containing suggestions to collectors in 

 other blanches of natural history. 



In addition, No. 41. Bibliography of Dr. Charles Girard, and No. 42, 

 A Preliminary Descriptive Catalogue of the Systematic Collections in 

 Economic ( leology and Metallurgy in the National Museum, by Mr. F. P. 

 Dewey, have been published. The manuscript of Bulletin No. 40, Bib- 

 liography of George X. Lawrence, by Dr. G. Brown Goode, has been 

 temporarily withdrawn. 



In order to meet special requirements in connection with the descrip- 

 tion of certain valuable collections in the National Museum, it has been 

 decided to issue, from time to time, monographsof collections in quarto 

 form. This series of publications will be known as the " Special Bulle- 

 tin." During the year, No. 1 of this series, entitled "Life Histories of 

 North American Birds," has been issued. This book has been prepared 

 by Charles E. Bendire, U. S. Army, honorary curator of the department 

 of birds' eggs in the U. S. National Museum. It is based largely upon 

 the collections in the .Museum. The preparation of this book was com- 

 menced in accordance with the wishes of Professor Baird. The present 

 volume relates only to land birds. It is hoped that before long Capt. 

 Bendire will be enabled to prepare for publication subsequent vol- 

 umes relating to the same general subject. 



A large number of papers upon scientific subjects has been published 

 by officers of the Museum and other specialists. These are, for the 

 most part, based on collections in the museum, and are referred to by 

 title in the Bibliography, constituting Section IV of this report. The 

 authors of these papers are seventy five in number, thirty-two of whom 

 are connected with the Smithsonian Institution or the National Museum. 

 The papers referred to in the Bibliography number 238, and relate to 

 the following subjects: 



