ACADEMY OF SCIENCES] BIOGRAPHY 5 



in this country. In 1876 this interest in the study of birds found expression in the formation 

 of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, which, after giving birth to the American Ornithologists' 

 Union, in 1883, has continued its career as a prosperous local organization. 



For eight years Doctor Allen served as corresponding secretary of the Nuttall Club, and 

 as editor of its Bulletin, the latter position leading naturally to his editorship of The Auk, which, 

 with the founding of the American Ornithologists' Union, logically succeeded the Bulletin. 



While in Cambridge, in addition to his curatorial duties, Doctor Allen served as lecturer 

 on ornithology at Harvard College (1871-1873), as curator of reptiles at the Boston Society 

 of Natural History (1868-1871), and as curator of birds and mammals in the same institution 

 (1870-1880). 



ASSOCIATION WITH THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 



When the trustees of the American Museum, under the presidency of Morris K. Jesup, 

 decided to make research as well as exhibition the function of that institution, their choice 

 fell upon Doctor Allen as the head of the department of birds and mammals, a post] which 

 Doctor Allen entered on May 1, 1885. 



This was the beginning of a new period in his life as well as that of the museum. Although 

 the museum's exhibition halls had a fair representation of the leading types of birds and mam- 

 mals, there was no study collection of the latter, and only about 3,000 study specimens of the 

 former. The 50,000 skins and skulls of mammals at present in the museum were all, therefore, 

 acquired during the period of Doctor Allen's curatorship, and to him in large measure is due 

 the size and importance of the study collection of buds. Two years after Doctor Allen came 

 to the museum, the Lawrence collection of 12,000 specimens was purchased, and this was fol- 

 lowed by the Herbert Smith collection of 4,000 birds from southwestern Brazil, the Scott col- 

 lection from Arizona, and the collections of Arizona birds presented by Dr. E. A. Mearns, and 

 of humming birds by D. G. Elliot. At this time also the invaluable ornithological library of 

 Doctor Elliot was acquired. The first three years of his connection with the museum Doctor 

 Allen worked alone, but on March 1, 1888, the writer was appointed his assistant, and to-day 

 the combined staffs of the now separate departments of birds and mammals number 17. 



Relieved now of the actual care of the growing collections, Doctor Allen devoted himself 

 to their study, and the publications of the museum during the succeeding third of a century 

 bear testimony to his industry and productiveness. During this period he published 37 papers 

 on birds and 150 on mammals, based wholly or largely on museum material. To his duties as 

 curator were soon added those of editor, a post which his natural qualifications and experience 

 especially fitted him to occupy. For 32 years all the zoological publications of the museum, 

 including 37 volumes of the Bulletin and 22 of the Memoirs, passed through his hands, and a 

 large part of his time was consumed by the preparation of copy lor the press and the reading 

 of proof. 



Doctor Allen was eagerly welcomed to New York by the resident naturalists of the city. 

 He was at once placed on the council of the Academy of Sciences, and later was made president 

 of the Linnaean Society, but he soon found that the duties of each day demanded all his strength 

 and he was able to take only a small part in the scientific activities of the city. He, however, 

 was one of the organizers of the original Audubon Society, and to the end was an active director 

 of this society and its virtual successor in New York, the National Association of Audubon 

 Societies. 



ASSOCIATION WITH THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



But by far the greater part of the time Doctor Allen could spare from his curatorial labors 

 was given to the American Ornithologists' Union, in the welfare of which he was as much 

 concerned as a father in the well-being of his first born. Indeed, to Doctor Allen might well be 

 applied the title "Father of the American Ornithologists' Union." He played a leading part 

 in its organization, served as its president during the first eight years of its existence, and was 

 a member of its council until the day of his death. He edited 3 volumes of the Union's 

 Check-List of North American Birds and for 28 years was editor of its official organ, The Auk, 

 during which period he contributed 643 papers, reviews, and obituary notices to that publication. 



