PREFACE. 



The purpose of this bulletin is to present a list, with index to titles, 

 of the publications of the U. S. National Museum, which consist of 

 an annual Report, an annual volume of Proceedings, Bulletins, Special 

 Bulletins, and Circulars. 



The Report constitutes the second volume of the Smithsonian Report, 

 and the first one thus issued is for the year 1884. A certain number 

 of these volumes is assigned to the Museum for distribution to libra- 

 ries, to correspondents, and to contributors to the collections, while a 

 considerable part of the edition is distributed by members of Congress. 

 The special papers in these volumes, for the most part describing 

 ethnological collections in the National Museum, are furnished free to 

 those interested. 



The series of Proceedings of the National Museum began in 1878, 

 and 23 volumes, containing 1,240 separate papers, have been published. 

 These papers, which are technical, describe, or are based wholly or in 

 part upon, material in the Museum. The volumes are sent only to 

 libraries, while the separate papers are furnished without charge to 

 specialists and others engaged in scientific work. 



The first number of the Bulletin was issued in 1875. Of the latest 

 in the series, No. 50 (The Birds of North and Middle America), only 

 the first volume, relating to the Fringillidas, has been issued. The 

 bulletins are intended principally for libraries, but are also given to 

 known specialists working on the groups to which they relate. 



Special Bulletins, in quarto, have been issued at irregular intervals, 

 but this form has been used only where a size larger than octavo was 

 deemed especiall}' desirable. The last one published (No. IV) is the 

 first volume of a monograph of the American Hydroids, and relates to 

 the group Plumularidae. 



The primary object of the issuance of the series of Circulars was to 

 bring to immediate notice urgent wants of the Museum, or to promul- 

 gate special information with the least possible delay. The first circu- 

 lar was published in 1881, and at the time when the present list was 

 sent to the Printing Office this series contained fifty numbers. 



None of the above-mentioned publications are sold by the Museum, 

 but when the Museum can not supply them, persons desiring to pur- 

 chase are advised to write to the Superintendent of Documents, Union 

 Building, Washington, D. C. 



Occasionally the Museum exchanges its publications for desirable 

 specimens. 



