ADVERTISEMENT. 



The extension of tlie scope of the National Mnseuni duiiny the past 

 lew years and the activity of the collectors employed in its interiest 

 have canse<l a j^reat increase in the amount of material in its [)Ossession. 

 Many of the objects" <iathered are of a novel and im[)ortant character, 

 and serve to throw a new liyht n])on the study of nature and of man. 



The importance to science of prompt publicaticni of descriptions of 

 this material led to the establishment, in 1S7S, of the ])resent series of 

 publications, entitled " Proceedings of the TTnite«l States National 

 Museum," the distinunisliini;' peculiarity of whicli is that the articles 

 are publislicd in painpldet form as fast as com[)leted and in advance 

 of the bound \-oluiiu'. The prescMit volume constitutes the sixteenth ot 

 the series. 



The articles in tliis series consist: First, of pa[»eis prepared by the 

 scientific corps of the National Museum; secondly, of pa-i)crs by others, 

 founded upon the collections in the National Museum; and, finally, 

 of facts and memoranda from tlie cori'cspoiideiice of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



The I)ulletin of the National Museum, the i)ublication of which was 

 commenced in 1875, consists of elaborate pai)ers based upon the collec- 

 tions of the Museum, reports of expeditions, etc., while the Proceedings 

 facilitate the prompt publication of freshly-acquired facts relating to 

 biology, anthropology and geology, descripti<ms of restricted groui)S 

 of aninuils and plants, the discussion of particular questions relative to 

 the synonymy of s])ecies, and the <liaries of minor exi)editions. 



Other i)apers of more general popular interest are jniiited in the 

 Ai)pendix to the Annual Peport. 



Pa])ers intended ibr ])ublication in the Proceedings and lliilletin of 

 the National Museum are referred to the Advisory Committee on Tub- 

 lications, composed as follows: T. II. lU^an (chairman), A. Howard 

 Clark, 11. E. Earll, Otis T. Mason, Leonhard Stejneger. Frederick W. 

 Tnu' and Lester F. Ward. 



S. P. Langley, ! 

 iSecretarj/ <>/' (lir ^Smitli-soiiixri [n.stifution. 



