6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1899. 



as the Academy lacked in lots of one hundred at so much per 

 specimen, but upon asking the advice of Dr. J. E. Gray, of the 

 British Museum, as to the terms asked, he was strongly advised to 

 abandon this plan and to purchase an entire collection, several of 

 which Avere then on the market, that of Victor Massena, Due de 

 Rivoli, Prince d'Esling, being especially recommended. 



Accordingly Dr. Gray was authorized to proceed to Paris and 

 secure the collection, which he promptly did, much to the chagrin 

 of De Blainville and other French naturalists, who had fully 

 expected that the French government would purchase the collec- 

 tion." 



The Rivoli collection, numbering about 12,500 specimens, 

 arrived in Philadelphia in September, 1846, and was deposited by 

 Dr. Wilson with the Academy ; the old collection being merged 

 with it.^ 



Dr. Wilson followed this purchase with that of the Bourcier 

 collection of Parrots and Tanagers, while his brother, ]\Ir. Edward 

 Wilson, of London,* who was also interested in building up the 

 collection, purchased mauy small collections from J. and E. Ver. 

 reaux and other dealers, including a number of specimens from the 

 museum of Temminck. 



In the following year two more collections were purchased for 

 Dr. Wilson in London: the Gould collection of Australian birds 

 and the Boys Indian Collection. 



The former formed the basis of Gould's magnificent w^ork on 

 the birds of Australia, and contained nearly all of his types of 

 Australian birds. It was always Gould's desire that this collection 

 should become the property of the British Museum, and he ottered 

 it to the trustees for the moderate sum of £1000. His offer was, 

 however, refused, and his disappointment was so great that in a 

 moment of chagrin he disposed of it to Dr. Wilson,^ 



The Boys collection consisted of a full series of the species col- 

 lected by Capt. Boys, of the British army, during several years' 



'^ See Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, 1869, Vol. iii, p. 317. 



=* See Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1846, pp. 75, 128, 131, 313. 



* Mr. Wilson was the immediate agent of his brother in the piirchase of 

 the Kivoli and other foreign collections. 



* See Sharpe's Index to the Works of John Gould, p. xviii. 



