REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1913. 57 



ocelJata, and the Siberian spoon-billed sandpiper, Eurynorliynchus 

 pygmseus, were likewise received as gifts, the former from Mr. C. H. 

 Jones, of San Felipe, Campeche, Mexico, the latter fi*om Air. L. L. 

 Lane, of Seattle, Wash. 



The rearrangement of the reserve series of skins was continued and 

 completed for 21 1 quarter-unit cases. Some 300 mounted birds from 

 the old exhibition collection were made over into skins, and the origi- 

 nal labels of several hundred mounted specimens were removed from 

 the stands to which they had been glued, and filed away in numerical 

 order for reference. The important work of posting the old cata- 

 logues showing the distribution of specimens during the earlier years 

 of the Museum and the search for type specimens were also contin- 

 ued, the latter with some success, a few types being discovered. 

 The Frick African collection was catalogued. The skins received 

 during the year were assigned to their appropriate places in the 

 reserve series, with the exception of the Frick and Abbott collec- 

 tions which are being kept intact pending their study. The eggs 

 were also catalogued but not systematically arranged. 



Mr. Robert Ridgway, curator of the division, completed part 6 of 

 his great work on the Birds of North and Middle America, covering 

 the families Picidse (woodpeckers), Capitonidae (barbets), Rham- 

 phastidse (toucans), Galbulidse (jacamars), Bucconidse (puffbirds), 

 Alcedinidse (kingfishers), TodidaB (todies), Momotidge (motmots), 

 Caprimulgidse (goatsuckers), Nyctibiidse (ibijaus), Aluconidse (barn 

 owls), Strigidse (owls), and Cuculidae (cuckoos). The manuscript for 

 the PsittacidsB (parrots), to be included in part 7, was also nearly 

 fuiished. It is gratifying to make mention in this connection of the 

 signal honor recently conferred on Mi\ Ridgway, who has been an 

 active member of the scientific staff of the Museum since 1874, in 

 the awarding to him of the Walker grand honorary prize, given by 

 the Boston Society of Natural History once in five years, in acknowl- 

 edgment of his investigations in ornithology, and particularly for his 

 work on the Birds of North and Middle America. This prize was 

 founded by the late William Johnson Walker, a benefactor of the 

 Society, and is granted in recognition of important investigations in 

 natural liistory, published and made known in the United States. 



Dr. C. W. Richmond, assistant curator, dm'ing such time as could 

 be spared from routine work, studied the Frick collection of African 

 birds with reference to their generic determination, and also inves- 

 tigated and reported on a large number of generic names of birds 

 for the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature. Mr. 

 J. H. Riley, aid, assisted Mr. Ridgway in the preparation of the 

 manuscript of the Birds of North and IVIiddle America, compiling 

 references and measuring specimens. Dr. E. A. Mearns, U. S. Army 

 (retired), associate in zoology, continued his studies of East African 



