58 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSETTM, 1889. 



(3) The Proceedings of the National Museum. — This series was 

 begun in 1878 aud the twelfth annual volume — that tor 1889 — is now 

 being printed.* 



Jn the first eleven volumes were printed seven hundred and sixty 

 scientific papers in addition to thirty-four administrative papers printed 

 from time to time in the appendix. 



The total of pages in the first ten volumes, excluding the appendices, 

 is 6,112, 410 of plates, or 6,522 pages, constituting 406| signatures. 



Of Vol. xi there have been printed 671 pages of text with 60 plates. 

 The total number of pages when the volume is complete will be about 

 725 + 120 plate pages. 



In the table here introduced is shown the number of pages, text fig- 

 ures and plates, in Vols. I to x of the " Proceedings." 



This series was established for the purpose of securing prompt 

 publication of discoveries in the Museum, and in order to secure this, 

 the printing has been done signature by signature as fast as matter was 

 prepared, aud a certain number of signatures have always been dis- 

 tributed, as soon as published, to scientific institutions aud special- 

 ists, these being dated by stamp in the Smithsonian Institution. The 

 number of signatures of each volume thus distributed has been in the 

 neighborhood of two hundred. 



This method of publication has seemed to be to some extent wasteful, 

 and it is thought that good results may be secured by distributing a 

 certain number of the advance copies in the form of authors' extras; 

 consequently, in making the requisition for the printing of Vol. xii the 

 following assignment was made: Out of an edition of 1,200 copies, 100 

 to be delivered in signatures as fast as printed, and 300 in extras or re- 

 prints, in paper covers, of which 50 are to be given to the authors and 

 the remainder distributed to specialists, in the various departments to 



* Vol. xi and twelve papers of Vol. xn have been published between the end of the 

 fiscal and the calendar year. 



