preface. ix 



5. Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum. 



In imitation of the practice of those learned societies which publish peri- 

 odically descriptions of new species, &c., in the form of proceedings of weekly 

 or monthly meetings, and thus present to the world the discoveries connected 

 with the establishment at the earliest practicable moment, it appeared to be 

 very desirable that the National Museum should have some medium of 

 prompt publication for announcing -descriptions of specimens received, (many 

 of which are new species,) as well as other interesting facts relative to natu- 

 ral history furnished by correspondents of the Institution. To meet this 

 want a fifth series of publications, (octavo,) entitled "Proceedings of the 

 National Museum," was commenced in 1880. They are printed in successive 

 signatures as fast as material sufficient for IG pages is prepared, and dis- 

 tributed at once to scientific societies and leading active working naturalists 

 in this country and in Europe,--^ each signature having printed at the bottom 

 of its first page the date of actual issue, for settling any questions as to 

 priority of publication. Of this series four volumes have been published, 

 comprising 2,221 pages, with 28 cuts and 19 plates. 



6. Reports of the Bureau of Ethnology. 



, The sixth series of jDublications is the annual report (in Imperial octavo) 

 of the Bureau of Ethnology, placed by Congress in charge of the Smithso- 

 nian Institution. The first volume of this series was issued in 1881, and 

 consists of 638 pages, with 343 cuts, 54 plates, and 1 map. 



The distribution of this volume to individuals is wholly by Members of 

 Congress and the Director of the Bureau, Major J. W. Powell — the Institu- 

 tion having copies at its disposal only for the libraries on its regular list of 

 distribution for its own full series. 



7. Copyright. 



• 



No copyright has ever been secured on the publications of the Institution. 

 They are left free to be used by compilers of books without any restrictions,, 

 except that full credit shall be given to the name of Smithson for any 

 extracts which may be made from them. 



*Prof. Baird's report for i88o. 



