NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 87 



have been added since that period, including Mr. Gould's Australian 

 birds, which are the types of his great work, " The Birds of Austra- 

 lia/' and embracing all the species then known, except five only. 

 Another important collection, mainly Parrots, Humming Birds and 

 Tanagers, was that of M. Bourcier, a distinguished French Ornitholo- 

 gist, and quite equally so was a collection made in the interior coun- 

 tries of India by Capt. Boys, of the East India Company's service. 

 Very important, too, are collections from the Ley den Museum, through 

 the influence of the eminent naturalists now or lately attached to that 

 great Institution, particularly the celebrated Temminck, and many 

 others obtained in Europe through the faithful and judicious exertions 

 of Mr. Edward Wilson for the interests of this Academy. 



Numerous other smaller additions have been made, whenever oppor- 

 tunity presented, in this country, by Br. Wilson, and also have been 

 derived from European Naturalists by exchange and purchase to the 

 extent of several thousand specimens. Messrs. Verreaux, the well-known 

 commercial Naturalists and Ornithologists of Paris, have been of ex- 

 ceeding service, and but little less so has been Mr. John Gr. Bell, of 

 New York, the principal commercial Naturalist in this country, whose 

 high interest in the prosperity of the Academy and scientific know- 

 ledge has never failed to be exerted and always has been of great value 

 in the extension of the collection. Mr. John Krider, Mr. William S. 

 Wood and Mr. James Taylor, of this city, have also furnished to Br. 

 Wilson many valuable specimens, and all of these gentlemen have in- 

 variably shown the utmost cheerfulness and liberality in their business 

 with the Museum of the Academy. 



The collection now presented by Br. Wilson has been derived from 

 the following sources, and includes specimens nearly as here enumer- 

 ated : 



Bivoli collection, 1st purchase, - - 12,500 specimens, 



do. do. 2d do. - - - 2,500 < 



Mr. Gould's Australian collection, - - 2,000 u 



M. Bourcier's collection, .... 1,000 " 



Capt. Boys' collection, .... 1,000 " 



Mr. Edward Wilson's collections in Europe, 

 including collections from the Leyden and Bri- 

 tish Museums, 4,500 " 



Br. Thos. B. Wilson's collections in Europe, 1,000 " 



do. do. do. in the U. S., . 1,500 " 



Total now presented to the Academy, 26,000 " 



It may be of interest to add that the collection previously owned by 

 the Academy comprises about 3000 specimens, including a very supe- 

 rior North American series derived from nearly all ornitluologists in 

 the United States, who have invariably shown the greatest interest in 

 the formation of the large collection of this Academy. The aggregate 

 number of specimens exhibited and now belonging to the Academy is 

 therefore about twenty-nine thousand birds. 

 I860.] 



