134 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The reserve Humming-bird collection, in a galvanized-iron chest, 30J inches long, 21 

 inches vride, and 20^^ inches high. 



The reserve collection of larger birds (not classified geographically) in twelve large " Sal- 

 vin " cabinets, each 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high, with closed, interchangeable 

 drawers ; and in seventeen large chests measuring 4&J inches long, 29^ inches wide, 

 and 21| inches high. 



The duplicate collection in various drawers, chests, and boxes, or wherever room can 

 be found. 



Desiderata. — It having been the policy of the Museum to make a specialty of Ameri- 

 can ornithology, the chief desiderata are in consequence priuciijally among foreign 

 birds. The collections of the Museum embrace, however, tolerably good collections 

 from Euroi>e, New South Wales, New Caledonia, Polynesia, and Kerguelen Island. 

 But from Africa, Asia (except Japan and parts of Eastern China), New Guinea, the 

 East India Islands, Philippines, Tasmania, Madagascar, and the various islands of 

 the Indian, South Atlantic, and Antarctic Oceans, the Museum possesses little ornoth- 

 ing; while the birds of New Zealand, Western and Northern Australia, the Sandwich 

 Islands, and Japan, are are very incompletely represented. The most desirable Old 

 World birds are of course those of the eastern portion of the Paherctic region (Siberia, 

 Kamtschatka, Japan, etc.), the close zoological relationship between that region and 

 North America requiring a careful and complete comparison of specimens from the 

 two regions, not only in the case of species common to the two (circumpolar species), 

 but also of representative species and genera. 



There are also still many important desiderata among Neotropical birds, which it is 

 highly desirable should be secured as soon as practicable. A full list of these desi- 

 derata has been published in the "Proceedings" of the National Museum (vol. 4, pp. 

 165-203). The total number of Neotropical species of birds known to date, is about 

 3,800, exclusive of North American species found within Neotropical limits. Of this 

 number the National Museum possesses no less than 2,225 species, among them being 

 not a few which ax'e unrepresented in other museums. The national collection is es- 

 pecially rich in West Indian birds, containing as it does nearly all the known species 

 of that interesting portion of the world, and is by far the most complete extant. 



The aggregate number of specimens of Neotropical birds in the collection is not 

 known; but the reserve skin series of Passeres, Trochilidse, and Pici (exclusive of 

 the genera Campcjyhilus and Hylotonms) alone contains nearly 9,000 specimens. 



In volume 4 of the "Proceedings "of the National Museum (1)^31, pp. 1G5-203), there 

 was published a "List of species of Middle and South American birds, not contained 

 in the United States National Museum," the object of the list being to acquaint mu- 

 seums and individuals with the desiderata of the collection. CiTiiies of this list were 

 judiciously distributed, the direct result being the addition of nearly 100 species to the 

 collection, and the promise of several hundred more. 



Among North American birds there still remain a few important desiderata. Prin- 

 cipal among these are, of course, species of which the Museum possesses no specimens 

 •whatever, as Cuvier's Kinglet (Regulus curieri), Lawrence's Warbler {Helminihophaga 

 iau-rencei), the White-throated Warbler (H. leucobronchialis), the Cincinnati Warbler 

 (77. cincinnatiensis), the Carbonated Warbler (I'erissoglossa? carbonata), the Blue 

 Mountain Warbler {Dcndrceca? montanu), Small-headed Flycatclier {Myiodioctes? mi- 

 iiutus), Grinnell's Water Thriish {Siiirus na'vius notabilis), Large-billed Shrike (Lanius 

 ludovicianus rohustus), Brewster's Linnet {Jlujiothus breivsitri), Thick-billed Parrot 

 {Iihgnchopsitta pachiirhyncha), Arctic Horned Owl {Bubo virginianus arciicus), Krider's 

 Hawk {Ihiteo horealis Irideri), Pallas's Cormorant {Phalacrocorax pcrsjncillalus). Siber- 

 ian Gull (Lams affinis), Hornby's Petrel {Oceanodroma hornbiji), Large-billed Puffin 

 {Fratercula arctica glacialis), Short-Avinged Guillemot {Brachijrhamphus brachijpttrus), 

 and Sooty Guillemot {Uria carbo). The first, fifth, sixth, and seventh of the above 

 Ba:ued species, it may bo remarked, do not exist, so far as known, in any collection. 

 The Museum is also particularly desirous of obtaining good specimens of the Califor- 



