238 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



looking and poisoning tiie entire collection of birds has been going on, and is 

 now nearly completed. Almost every mounted bird has been examined, dis- 

 infected and the cases cleaned. It was found that there was no time to lose in 

 this work, as many specimens had been attacked by insects, and further delay 

 might have occasioned the loss of a portion of our collection which could 

 probably never be replaced. The remaining cases will soon be gone through. 



The Committee cannot too strongly urge the necessity of such an examina- 

 tion being made, if not annually, at least once in two years, even should it 

 involve some expense to the Academy to secure the preservation of the best 

 collection of birds on this continent, and, with one exception, the largest in 

 the world. 



By permission and special 'rote of the Academy, a duplicate specimen of the 

 rare egg of the Great Auk {Alca impennis) was presented to the Smithsonian 

 Institution at Washington. In addition to some rare and valuable bird skins 

 this Institution intends giving us from late expeditions to Alaska and the 

 North-West, there is being made up for this Academy a collection of eggs, 

 many of value and interest, procured mostly from Arctic America. But we 

 are badly off for a place to put them, the present cabinets of eggs being nearly 

 full and in too dark a room to be of any use for study. We would, therefore, 

 ask that some appropriation be made for additional cabinets, and also that 

 the whole be placed in a more suitable part of the building. 



The Committee recommends that permission be given to sell (or exchange) 

 the duplicate bird skins packed away in chests and drawers, some now in- 

 jured by insects, awd which, in a few years, may become seriously damaged ; 

 the proceeds of such sales to be appropriated to the purchase of specimens 

 wanted, and that might be procured in this way, and especially of newly 

 discovered species, our additions to which, for the last five or six years, have 

 been far behind other Ornithological Museums in this country and elsewhere, 

 and consequently has brought our collection to a comparative stand still. 



The Committee would also call attention to that portion of the Library de- 

 voted to Ornithologj', Since the death of the late Dr. Wilson, only such books 

 on tbe subject then going on in parts, and for which he made appropriation, 

 have been continued, thereby causing some leading periodicals and other 

 works to be dropped, thus impairing the value of the whole as a Library of 

 reference. Very many important books published during the last lew years are 

 wanted, and to keep up with the present state of Ornithological Science 

 throughout the world, it is necessary that students should be able to refer to 

 the latest and best authors. 



Respectfully submitted. 



Bernard A. Hoopes, Chairman. 

 Wm. p. Turnbull, 



Philadelphia, Dec. 28th, 1869. Edwin Sheppard. 



LIBRARIAN'S REPORT. 



The Librarian respectfully reports that the number of additions to the 

 Library from January to December, 18C9, inclusive, amounts to 1131. 



Of these 185 were volumes, and 946 pamphlets and parts of periodicals. 



They were derived from the following sources : 



Societies, 440; Editors, 200; Authors, 102; Wilson Fund, 177; Library 

 Fund, 76; purchased, 51 : Norwegian Government, 13 ; Geo. W. Tryon, Jr., 10 ; 

 Jos. Jeanes, 8 ; Treasure' Department, 8 ; Pablishers, 6 : Minister of Public 

 Works in France, 6 ; John Warner, 4; Isaac Lea, 4 ; Messrs Townsend and 

 Adams, 7 ; Smithsonian Inst., 3 ; M. de Caligay, 4 ; Surgeon General, 1 ; J. D. 

 Whitney, 1 ; General Humphreys, 1 ; Thos. Meehan, 1 ; Department of Educa- 



[Dec. 



