Report on the U.S. JVatioiml Museum. 421 



special information through correspondence. Such is an epitome 

 of the work carried out by the U.S. National Museum under the 

 direction of the Smithsonian Institution. 



An annual report, however good and satisfactory, is generally 

 admitted to be a somewhat dull but necessary document, and 

 certainly not to be classed with novels and such light literature 

 as holiday reading : but behind the report come seven admirably 

 prepared memoirs, which the authors have endeavoured to render 

 as attractive as possible, not only by the varied subjects treated of, 

 but in several instances by the excellent and abundant illustrations 

 given. 



Part II. 



(A) Dr. James M. Flint, of the U.S. Navy, furnishes a descriptive 

 catalogue of the Foraminifera dredged by the U.S. steamer 

 "Albatross." Materials from about 125 stations have been carefully 

 studied, and specimens from more than one hundred localities have 

 been preserved and identified. Fifty-eight localities are in the 

 North Atlantic Ocean, twenty-one in the Gulf of Mexico, seven in 

 the Caribbean Sea, one in the South Pacific, and five in the North 

 Pacific. The depths vary from 7 to 2,512 fathoms. The illus- 

 trations are all made from mounted specimens on exhibition in 

 the U.S. National Museum, and have a uniform enlargement of 

 about fifteen diameters ; by this plan they mark distinctly the 

 relative size of the objects. The classification followed is that of 

 the late Mr. H. B. Brady in his Eeport on Foraminifera collected 

 by H.M.S. "Challenger." 



The series are mounted expressly for the public, the specimens 

 of each species being attached to the bottom of a shallow, concave, 

 blackened disk of brass, arranged in concentric rows upon a large 

 circular metal plate forming the stage of an ordinary microscope. 

 The circular plate has a rotary and a to-and-fro movement by means 

 of a friction roller and a rack and pinion, so that all the mounts 

 may be successively brought under the microscope. The apparatus 

 has been in use by the public, both by adults and children, and 

 has stood very severe tests successfully for seven years, with only 

 the occasional presence of an Attendant in the room. 



Dr. Flint gives a description of what Foraminifera are, which 

 would do admirably for a popular guidebook. He then proceeds 

 to explain, simply and clearly, how these minute shells are to 

 be mounted and how sections may be prepared. For the 

 literature he refers to Carpenter's " Introduction to the Study of 

 the Foraminifera," to Brady's Eeport on the Foraminifera collected 

 by H.M.S. " Challenger," and to C. Davies Sherborn's "Index to the 

 Genera and Species of the Foraminifera." Then comes an analytical 

 key to the families, followed by a descriptive catalogue of the genera 

 and species. The eighty plates are superb, and demonstrate what 

 can be satisfactorily done by photography direct, without the inter- 

 vention of any artist. The photographs are only ' processed,' and 

 then printed on good plate paper. 



