344 [Dec. 1847. 



it now stands, is one of the first extant, and when further additions already 

 engaged shall have arrived, the Ornithological collection of this Academy 

 will be probably the most extensive and complete in the world. 



The collection, well known in Europe as that of the Prince Massena, Duke 

 of Rivoli, has been received. This large collection, the arrangement of 

 which is now nearly completed, consists of not less than twelve thousand 

 five hundred specimens, from all parts of the world, and in a very superior 

 state of preservation. 



Where so many of the families and genera of birds are alike fully repre- 

 sented, it is not easy to pronounce in which of these a collection is most 

 remarkable ; this distinction, however, in the Rivoli collection, I am in- 

 clined to award to the Rapacious birds, in the various genera of which it is 

 not only almost absolutely complete, but very many of the species are illus- 

 trated by series of specimens showing varieties of plumage, or distinctions 

 of sex, age and season, in the most satisfactory manner. Of the Aquila 

 ehrysaetos, (Linn.) or Golden Eagle, for instance, there are six specimens : 

 of the Aquila Bonellii, (Bonap.) also six: of the Aquila naevia, (Gm.) five; 

 of the Aquila vulturina. (Daud.) a large black Eagle from South Africa, four 

 specimens ; of the Haliaetus vocifer, (Daud.) six ; of the Helotarsus ecauda- 

 tus, (Daud.) six; of the Pernis apivorus. (Linn.) ten; of theButeounicinctus, 

 (Temm.) nine; of the Buteo aguia, (Temm.) nine specimens; and many of 

 the smaller or more variable species are even more fully represented. Of the 

 Astur magnirostris, (Gm.) for instance, we have fifteen specimens, of the 

 Accipiter nisus, (Linn.) thirteen, of the Meliecrax musicus, (Daud. twelve, 

 of the Circus cinerascens, (Mont.) fifteen, of the Falco peregrinus, Gm., 

 fourteen, and of one species, the Falco sparverius, Linn., twenty-six speci- 

 mens were not considered too many to illustrate its supposed changes and 

 varieties ; and even with these the Duke or his Curator appears to have been 

 scarcely satisfied, for among the specimens in the collection, marked as un- 

 determined, were six others of this species. I mention this case, more par- 

 ticularly, because it affords an example of the extraordinary care and atten- 

 tion shown by the former proprietor of this collection ; not even a variety, of 

 any possible consequence in the representation of a species, having been 

 neglected, when attainable, notwithstanding the previous existence in the 

 collection of numerous specimens of the same species. 



Of Vultures, all the known species, except three, are in the Rivoli col- 

 lection ; one of which, I may observe, has been obtained from another 

 source. 



Taking into consideration the comparative difficulty of collecting Rapa- 

 cious birds, and more especially of forming such series of specimens as are 

 to be found in this collection, its great scientific value in the Order Rap- 

 tores ; is sufficiently evident. 



Nor are other Orders far behind the Raptores, and it is rather a remark- 

 able as well as interesting character, that in many genera the species of 

 which are of more difficult attainment, such as the larger swimmers, 

 waders and gallinaceous birds, the Rivoli collection is particularly complete. 



Of the Natatorcs, or swimming birds, the collection is scarcely second to 



