Custodian.] 8 [May 0, 



part of the Memoirs has been pubhshed and the printing of 

 the fourth and conckiding part commenced. The third part 

 contains two papers ; one by Prof Clark, giving the descrip- 

 tion and history of many species of sponges, for the purpose 

 of proving their animahty ; the other, by Mr, Brigham, em- 

 bracing botli his own and all previous observations upon the 

 volcanoes and volcanic phenomena of the Hawaiian Islands. 



We have completed the eleventh volume of the Proceedings, 

 issued the Annual Report for 1867, and publislied a small 

 edition of the supplement to Prof. Hentz's Araneides of 

 the United States, extracted from the eleventh volume of 

 the Proceedings. A new edition of six signatures of 

 the eighth volume of the Proceedings has been printed 

 and copies of the complete volume can now be had. In the 

 twelfth volume some improvements in typography will be 

 introduced. About sixty pages of the Entomological Corres- 

 pondence of the late Dr. T. W. Harris (mentioned in the 

 last Report) are in type ; the book will be issued during the 

 coming summer or autumn as the first of a series of inde- 

 pendent works, to be entitled Occasional Papers of the 

 Boston Society of Natural History. The first Annual of 

 the Society, containing its Charter and Constitution, a sketch 

 of its history, catalogues of the officers and members with 

 then- addresses and other similar lists, may be expected in a 

 few days. It Avill be published every May, and furnished 

 gratuitously to any member who will keep the Secretary 

 informed of his correct address. 



The establishment of a printing oflice within the Museum 

 has enabled us not only to print an unusual amount 

 apart from our regular issues, but the Proceedings them- 

 selves have advanced so rapidly that we have ready for de- 

 livery all the printed Records of the Society up to this eve- 

 ning's report. A comparison of the dates of the meetings 

 for the jjast ten years, with those of the signatures of the 

 Proceedings in which the records occur, will show that on 

 an average, six or eight months have ela]»sed between the 



