184.9.] 259 



belonging to this Society has been carefully preserved. This will be found to 

 contain not only many sppcimens of rare scientific value, (such as the orisinal 

 specimens of the species discovered by Dr. Townsend, many rare Mexican species 

 from Dr. Burrough, and the fine Surinam collection from Dr. Hering) but also, 

 many highly prized mementoes of the friends and associates of our Society, to 

 whose kind exertions the formation of the nucleus of our present extensive collec- 

 tion is to be attributed, such as Dr. Marmaduke Burrough, Dr. Ralph Hammersly 

 Mr. Thomas Ryan, Dr. George C. Leib, Dr. Wm. Blanding, Mr. Wm. Hembel, 

 Dr. W. S. \V. Rushenberger, Dr. S. G. Morton, Dr. C. Hering, Di. Jno. K. 

 Townsend, Mr. W. S. Warder, Dr. J. Trudeau, Dr. A. L. Heerman, Dr. E. A. 

 Abadie, Dr. C. Huffnagle, ;Mr. Richard C. Taylor, Mr. J. W. RiiJon, Dr. Gavin 

 Watson, Mr. Wm. S. Vaux, Dr. Thomas McEuen, Mr. John Speakman, Mr. A. 

 F. Darley, Mr. Geo. W. Carpenter, Mr. Thos. Fisher, Mr. W. A. Foster, 

 Dr. P. B. Goddard, Dr. C. W. Pennock, Mr. Robert Pearsall, Mr. J. Price 

 Wetherill, Dr. S. W. Woodhouse, Mr. Samuel Ashmead, Mr. John G. Bell, and 

 many others. 



There is at present another large addition about being made to the collection, 

 of which a few specimens have already arrived. It is a collection formed during 

 several years residence in the interior of India, by Captain Boys, of the British 

 Army, and contains about 1000 specimens, among which are many new and rare 

 objects. It is now in the hands of Mr. Gould, who wishes to make drawings of 

 various specimens for his forthcoming work on the Birds of Asia, and will pro- 

 bably arrive in the course of the ensuing year. 



There is also now in the possession of the Academy, and intended for its 

 Museum, though not yet presented, a valuable collection made by our fellow 

 member Mr. E. L. Kern, who has been attached as artist to several of the expe- 

 ditions of Col. Fremont, and is now in California. This was collected by Mr. 

 Kern during the expedition of 1845, and contains numerous specimens of such 

 interesting species as Cathaites Californianus, Archibuteo regalis, Athene hypugea, 

 Nucifraga Columbiana and Cyanocephala, (De Wied), Picus scalaris and mela- 

 nopogon, Cyanocorax californicus and coronatus, Columba fasciata, Fringilla 

 oregona, Parus minimus, septentrionalis and montanus, and many others. 



Arrangements for further additions have also been completed, which will ensure 

 all attainable desiderata arriving in the cities of Paris and London, and arrange- 

 ments for exchange or purchase, have been completed or are now in pro- 

 gress with several distinguished ornithologists, or with commercial naturalists in 

 other parts of Europe ; and I may state in addition, that our Museum will without 

 doubt be further enriched by the researches of several of our members who have 

 availed themselves of facilities at present existing for visiting California ; among 

 whom are Messrs. E. W. and R. H. Kern, who were attached to the late unfor- 

 tunate expedition of Col. Fremont. Dr. Heerman, Mr. J. G. Bell and Dr. Gambel, 

 and also by the acquisitions of one of our own most talented and enterprising 

 young naturalists Dr. S. W. Woodhouse, now absent upon a government expedi- 

 tion to the Arkansas river. 



I am enabled to state that the number of specimens of birds actually exhibited 

 in the Museum of this Academy at the date of this Report, (Dec. 25th, 1840,) is 

 nineteen thousand seven hundred and seventy-one (19771). The number of 

 species cannot at present be ascertained, but I hope to present such information 



