1032 _ Recent Literature. { December, 
EDITORS’ TABLE. 
EDITORS: A. S. PACKARD AND E. D. COPE. 
The editors of the American NATURALIST wish to call 
the attention of American students to the fact that their pages 
are open for the prompt publication of summaries of the results 
of original investigation, which for any reason it may be deemed 
desirable to place on record before the issuance of the completed 
account. Looked at merely as a means of securing priority, prê- , 
liminary communications are not over praiseworthy. The credit 
of making a discovery should not be the sole end of investigation, 
and an attempt to hurry into print so as to forestall some other 
worker in the same line is not highly meritorious. The student 
of science should have a higher aim; and happily quarrels for 
priority are far less frequent than they have been in years past, 
‘thus indicating that a higher end has been sought. Preliminary 
communications have another value than the mere anticipation of 
another. They place before others, working in the same line, an 
outline of the results at the earliest possible moment, and thus 
often furnish invaluable assistance. Fully as great is their value 
to the student working in another line. The completed paper is 
usually long and frequently prolix, so that it is a severe drain 
upon the time to wade through it for the facts desired. The pre- 
liminary communication, on the other hand, is usually short and 
concise; it contains only the more salient facts and omits the 
larger part of the speculations. In this way it becomes more 
easily available for reference, while it does not withdraw from the 
value of the more detailed article, From these two points of 
view the preliminary communication is valuable and deserves en- 
couragement. 
"ry 
oe 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Smitn’s “ ALBATROSS ” Crusracea!— The dredgings of the 
. S. Fish Commission steamer Aıbatross are turning up a WOR- 
by American 
done in Eu- 
-derful deep-sea fauna, and placing the work done 
| recorded 
Jents in this direction at least on a par with that 
ee In the present paper 107 species of decapods are 
as ee been taken in the collections of 1883 and 1884, an 
but two are described as new in the present paper. 
zit hs rb on the decapod ——- 1 aw “ A dri 
Novel- 
edgings 
mn of 1884. artis 
seas 101, 20 Plates, 1 1886. 
