10 EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Belknap Marcou. This forms the third volume of the "Bibliographies 

 of American Naturalists." Octavo, 333 pages. 



653, "BuUetia of the U. S. National Museum, No. 31. Synopsis of 

 the North American Syrphidai." By Samuel W. Williston. Octavo, 

 335 pages; illustrated by 12 plates of outline cuts. 



Proceedings of the National Museum. — This series, like the preceding, 

 are primarily printed under the authority of the honorable Secretary of 

 the Interior. The papers, however, are shorter and less elaborate, and 

 are designed to give early accounts of recent acquisitions to the Museum, 

 or of freshly acquired facts relating to biology, etc. And to this end 

 such papers are promptlj' published in single "signatures" as soon as 

 matter sufficient to fill 16 pages has been prepared, the date of issue 

 being given on each signature. The publication thus partakes of 

 the character of an irregular periodical, the numbers of which, con- 

 tinuously paged, form a regular annual volume. These volumes, like 

 the bulletins, are from time to time included in the Miscellaneous Col- 

 lections. The " Proceedings," Vol. I, for 1878, and Vol. II, for 1879, to- 

 gether formed Vol. XIX of the Miscellaneous CollectiouSr " Proceed- 

 ings," Vol. Ill, for 1880, and Vol. IV, for 1881, together formed Vol. 

 XXII of the Miscellaneous Collections. "Proceedings," Vol. V and 

 foHowing have not yet been collected into the " Miscellaneous" series. 



637, "Circular for the Guidance of Persons desiring to make Ex- 

 changes of Birds or Birds' Eggs with the National Museum." A one-page 

 octavo circular (No. 34). 



646. " Circular concerning the Lending of Typical Specimens." A one- 

 page octavo circular (No. 35). These circulars are inserted as an ap- 

 pendix to the volume of " Proceedings." 



650. *' Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum, Vol, IX, 1886." 

 The volume contains descriptive and systematic papers by James E. 

 Benedict, T. W. Blackiston, George H. Boehmer, Charles H. Bollman, 

 Edward D. Cope, W. H. Dull, George E. Doeriug, Charles L. Edwards, 

 Carl H. Eigeumaun, Barton W. Evermanu, Fernando Ferrari Perez, 

 Morton W. Fordice, Charles H. Gilbert, Elizabeth G. Hughes, David 

 S. Jordan, George N. Lawrence, John Belknap Marcou, William G. 

 Mazyck, George P. Merrill, Richard Rathbun, Robert Ridgway, John 

 A, Ryder, Rosa Smith, Leonhard Stejneger, John B. Smith, Frederick 

 W. True, and John Grant Wells. An octavo volume of v-f 714 pages, 

 illustrated by 25 plates (1 colored, the rest cuts). 



Smithsonian Annual Reports. — These reports being submitted to Con- 

 gress as required by the organic law, are printed by order of that body. 

 Much of the contents, however, are reprinted by the Institution at its 

 own expense. 



648. Report of the U. S. National Museum (under the direction of the 

 Smithsonian Institution) for the year 1884." This volume forms Part II 

 of the Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution, and was most un- 



