54 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



Proceedings of the U. 8. National Museum. — The extension of the scope 

 of the National Museum during- the past few years, and the activity of 

 the collectors employed in its interest, have caused a great increase in 

 the amount of material in its possession. Many of the objects gathered 

 are of a novel and important character, and serve to throw a new light 

 upon the study of nature and of man. The importance to science of 

 prompt publication of descriptions of this material led to the estab- 

 lishment of the present series of publication, in 1878, entitled " Proceed- 

 ings of the United States National Museum." The papers in the Proceed- 

 ings consist chiefly of papers prepared by the scientific corps of the 

 National Museum, and of papers by other investigators, founded 

 upon the collections in the National Museum. 



Volume xi, for 1888, was issued in October, 1889. It contains 714 

 pages, 60 plates, and 122 text figures. The volume contains 85 papers 

 by 43 authors, 19 of whom are connected with the National Museum. 

 The papers relate to the following subjects : 



Subject. 



Birds 



Chemistry 



Ethnology 



Fishes 



Fossil animals 

 Fossil plants . 



Geology 



Insects 



No. of 

 papers. 



Subject. 



Mammals 



Mineralogy... 



Mollnsks 



Osteology 



Recent plants 

 Reptiles 



Total... 



No. of 

 papers. 



Nineteen signatures (304 pages) of volume xi had been published 

 before the beginning of the fiscal year covered by this report. The 

 remainder were published on the following dates : 



Nos. 20-27, on July 5, 18811. 

 Nos. 28-33, on September 3, 1889. 

 Nos. 34-35, on September 20, 1889. 

 Nos. 36-41, on September 25, 1889. 

 No. 42, on September 27, 1889. 



Commencing with volume xn, the method of publishing the separate 

 papers was changed, for reasons already explained. The bound volume 

 lias not yet been received from the Public Printer. A list of the titles 

 of the separate papers with the names of the authors, is here given: 



No. 701. A Review of the Genus Xiphocolaptes of Lesson. By Robert Ridgway. Pp. 



1-20. 

 No. 7G2. A Review of thoGeuus Sclerurns of Swainson. By Robert Ridgway. Pp. 



21-31. 

 No. 763. Descriptive Notes of New Genera and species from the Lower Cambrian or 



OleneilnsZone of North America. By Charles D. Walcolt. Pp. 33-46. 

 No. 764. New North American Acrididae found North of the Mexican Boundary. By 



Lawrence Brnner. Pp. 47-82. 



