EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1915. 41 



osteological series can be placed in good and final shape. The more 

 important accessions of birds' eggs received during several years 

 past, amounting to 242 sets and 923 specimens, were labeled and 

 distributed in the cases. 



The curator of the division, Mr. Eobert Eidgway, was chiefly 

 occupied in the preparation of manuscript for his monumental work 

 on the Birds of North and Middle America, which is being issued 

 as Bulletin 50 of the Museum. Six volumes have already been pub- 

 lished, the manuscript of volume 7 was completed in May, and 

 volume 8 is now in course of writing. Dr. Charles W. Eichmond, 

 assistant curator, devoted most of his spare time from administrative 

 work to bibliographical and nomenclatorial research, while Mr. J. H. 

 Riley, aid, in addition to assisting Mr. Eidgway in connection with 

 Bulletin 50, studied and identified the birds received during the year 

 from Ecuador and China. Dr. E. A. Mearns, U. S. Army (retired), 

 associate in zoology, continued his studies on east African birds from 

 the various expeditions to that region, and Mr. A. C. Bent, of Taun- 

 ton, Mass., his preparation of the life histories of North American 

 birds. Members of the Biological Survey made frequent use of the 

 collections, especially Mr. H. C. Oberholser who consulted the North 

 American and Malayan series of skins, and Mr. Alex. Wetmore who 

 conducted extensive researches in the osteological series, incidentally 

 arranging many of the specimens for the Museum. Among other 

 ornithologists from this country and abroad who spent more or 

 less time in the division, may be mentioned Mr. C. C. Custer, of 

 Balboa, Canal Zone ; Mr. Childs Frick, of Bryn Mawr, Pa. ; Mr. 

 F. Seymour Hersey, of Taunton, Mass. ; Mr. Wharton Huber, of 

 Gwynedd Valley, Pa.; Mr. J. Parker Norris, jr., of Philadelphia, 

 Pa. ; Mr. D. E. Oleson, of Titusville, Pa. ; Mr. W. H. Osgood, of the 

 Field Museum of Natural Histor}^; Father W. C. Eepetti, S. J., of 

 Fordham University ; Prof. E. M. Strong, of the University of Mis- 

 sissippi ; Mr. W. E. Clyde Todd, of the Carnegie Museum ; Mr. John 

 P. Young, of Youngstown, Ohio; Dr. T. W. Eichards, U. S. Navy; 

 Dr. E. W. Shufeldt, and Mr. Edward J. Court, of Washington ; and 

 Mr. George D. Wilder, of Pekin, China. 



A large number of specimens were lent for study to the following 

 institutions and individuals, namely: Mr. Frank M. Chapman and 

 Mr. W. de W. Miller, of the American Museum of Natural History ; 

 the California Academy of Sciences, for the use of Mr. L. M. Loomis ; 

 Mr. Todd, of the Carnegie Museum; Mr. Henry K. Coale, of Chi- 

 cago, 111. ; Mr. C. B. Cory, of the Field Museum of Natural H[istory ; 

 Mr. Outram Bangs, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology; Dr. 

 Joseph Grinnell, of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the Uni- 

 versity of California; the Museum of History, Science and Art, at 



