ADVEBTISEMEKT. 



The object of the General Appendix to the Annual Eeport of the 

 Smithsonian Institution is to furnish brief accounts of scientific discov- 

 ery in particular directions; reports of investigations made by collab- 

 orators of the Institution; and memoirs of a general character or on 

 special topics that are of interest or value to the numerous correspond- 

 ents of the Institution. 



It has been a prominent object of the Board of Eegents of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, from a very early date, to enrich the annual report 

 required of them by law with memoirs illustrating the more remarka- 

 ble and important developments in physical and biological discovery, 

 as well as showing the general character of the operations of the Insti- 

 tution; and this purpose has, during the greater part of its history, 

 been carried out largely by the publication of such papers as would 

 possess an interest to all attracted by scientific progress. 



In 1880 the Secretary, induced in part by the discontinuance of an 

 annual summary of progress which for thirty years previous had been 

 issued by well-known private publishing firms, had prepared by com- 

 petent collaborators a series of abstracts, showing concisely the prom- 

 inent features of recent scientific progress in astronomy, geology, 

 meteorology, physics, chemistry, mineralogy, botany, zoology, and 

 anthropology. This latter plan was continued, though not altogether 

 satisfactorily, down to and including the year 1888. 



In the report for 1889 a return was made to the earlier method of 

 presenting a miscellaneous selection of papers (some of them original) 

 embracing a considerable range of scientific investigation and discus- 

 sion. This method has been continued in the present report, for 1896. 

 sm 96 6 81 



