iv ADVERTISEMENT. 



tions can be presented more conveniently in the quarto or the 

 octavo form. 



The Annual Reports are presented to Congress, and printed at 

 its expense, copies being given to the Institution for distribution. 

 They consist of the reports of the Secretary to the Board of Regents 

 of the operations and condition of the Institution; the reports of 

 committees of the Board ; reports of lectures ; extracts from corre- 

 spondence ; original or translated articles relating to the history 

 and progress of science, etc. Over the typography and general 

 mechanical execution, as well as the number of copies of the 

 Smithsonian Annual Reports, the Institution has no control. 



In the first experiments of the Smithsonian system of publication, 

 the proper magnitude of the editions necessary to meet the imme- 

 diate and future demand could not be accurately ascertained. The 

 number of copies of the Contributions then fixed upon, has since 

 been found inadequate, although it was larger than that usually 

 issued by other institutions. The edition has, therefore, been 

 augmented, until at the present time 1000 copies of each article are 

 set aside to be combined into volumes, and an extra number, vary- 

 ing with the probable demand, from 500 to 1500, struck off for sepa- 

 rate distribution, and for sale. 



Each article is complete in itself, with separate paging, title, and 

 index, and without any necessary relationship to others combined 

 with it in the same volume. 



Of the first volumes of Smithsonian Contributions, the edition, 

 for reasons already explained, was less than of the succeeding ones, 

 so that complete sets cannot now be furnished. A considerable 

 number of the earlier articles in octavo were out of print before 

 the commencement of the series of " Miscellaneous Collections," and 

 consequently are not included in them. 



The regular series of volumes of Smithsonian Annual Reports 

 begins with that for 1853, those for previous years being pamphlets 

 now out of print. The essential portion of their contents is, how- 

 ever, given in the volume for 1853, so as to present a complete 

 summary of the history of the operations of the Institution from its 

 commencement. 



The rules governing the distribution of the Smithsonian publica- 

 tions arc appended. To enable institutions not coming within their 

 provisos, as well as individuals, to procure copies of such as may 

 be desired, a small number is set aside, and sold by the Institution, 

 or its agents, at the prices affixed, which are intended merely to 

 cover the actual cost of their publication. They may be obtained 



