32 KEPORT OF THE SECEETARY. 



furiiislied living specimens of the coatimundi ; and Doctor Nichols, of 

 the Washington Insane Asylum, the body of a very large grizzly bear. 

 Specimens of tbe black-tailed deer and American panther were ob- 

 tained ibr the Institution by Mr. James Stevenson, of Doctor Haydeu's 

 survey. One of the most important contributions of the year, as far as 

 the mammalia of North America are concerned, consisted of several speci- 

 mens of the black-footed ferret, ( Putorius nigripes,) a weasel described 

 by Mr. Audubon in 1843 from a single specimen, which has not beeu 

 since caught until the present year, when specimens were transmitted to 

 the Institution h\ Mr. La Munyon, Dr. Law, and Mr. L. H. Kerrick. 



Especially noteworthy among the birds received during the year is a 

 specimen of the dodo pigeon (Diduncuhis strigirostris) from the Samoan 

 Islands, jiresented by Mr. A. B. Steinberger. This species is best known 

 from having been collected by the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, and de- 

 scribed nearly simultaneously by Sir William Jardine and Mr. Titian R. 

 Peale. It is confined to these islands, where it is nearly extinct. This 

 specimen is especially valuable from being presented entire in alcohol, 

 thus furnishing an opportunity of a thorough anatomical investigation 

 of its characteristics. A living specimen just received at the Zoological 

 Garden in London has attracted great attention. 



Mr. Lucien M. Turner, now stationed at Saint Michael's, in Norton 

 Sound, as an observer in the Signal-Service, has sent a number of birds, 

 ■with their eggs, of much interest, among them specimens of the Sterna 

 aleutica and other rare species. 



A cast of part of the skull of a remarkable fossil bird from the Shep- 

 pey clay, of England, (the Odontopterijx toUapicus,) has been received 

 from Mr. Bryce M. Wright. Mr. Barnum has supplied, from the speci- 

 mens that died in his menagerie, the cassowary, the emu, and the 

 ostrich. From Dr. Gabb has been received a very large series of the 

 birds of Costa Eica. Mr. J. E. Harting, of London, has supplied some 

 rare specimens of the grallse. Collections of the birds of Colorado have 

 been furnished by Mr. C. G. Aiken and Mrs. Maxwell ; of the Isthmus 

 of Tehuantepec, bj^ Professor Sumichrast ; of the Prybilov Islands, from 

 Mr. George R. Adams. Collections of the birds of Brazil were furnished 

 by Seiior Albuquerque, and of Buenos Ayres by Dr. Burmeister ; a 

 series of rare species from Ecuador was also received from the Wesleyan 

 University, at Middletown, Conn. 



A noteworthy fact is the receipt of a specimen of the Arkansas fly- 

 catcher, killed in Maryland, and presented by Mr. Jouy, this species 

 being usually confined to the western plains. 



The most important of the collections of eggs received are those fur- 

 nished by Captain Charles Bendire, United States Cavalry, from South- 

 ern Arizona ; those from Dr. William A. Cooper, of Santa Cruz, Cali- 

 fornia; from Florida by Professor Jenks, and from Alaska by Mr. Dall 

 and Mr. Elliott. 



