REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 53 



Catalo(/ue entrlis. 

 Skius, alcoholics, and skulls : 



Last entry, June 20, 1X95 62479 



Last entry, June 17, 1896 63475 



New volume — 



First entry, April 27, 1896 82301 



Last entry, June 27, 1896 82674 



Department of Agriculture deposit: 



Last entry, June 27, 1895 72200 



Last entry, Juue 29, 1896 78473 



DEPARTMENT OF BIRDS. 



During' the year just closed a large proportion of the time of the 

 curator, Mr. Eobert liidgway, lias been devoted to the prosecution of 

 his work on the "Birds of Xorth and Middle America." In a special 

 report regarding the progress of this work he makes the following 

 statement: 



There have been completed during the year the synonymy, family diagnoses, and 

 concomitant matter peitainiug to 54 families, 335 genera, and 1,C61 species. During 

 the preceding period since the work was commenced 15 families, 165 genera, and 747 

 species were covered. 



This statement does not by any means show the proportion of the work which has 

 actually been completed, since a large number of genera and individual species, 

 thoroughly "worked up" in other connections, are in shape for the printer. How 

 many and what proportion of the whole these would repiesent, it is, however, impos- 

 sible to estimate. 



At the present rate of progress the syuonymatic portion of the worlv will be com- 

 pleted by December, 1896 — possibly sooner. Much of the most difficult portion of 

 the task will then be out of the way. In the meantime a detcrunncd etl'ort will be 

 made to thoroughly rearrange the collection, so as to facilitate access to the speci- 

 mens, and then the tiuishing touches will be given the work without unnecessary 

 delay. 



Other investigations carried on by the curator included a study of the 

 genera of the Tringillidji'; a study of the affinities of Procnias viridis; 

 a partial compilation of a list of type specimens in the dej)artment of 

 birds; determinations of some-(Talapagos species, of a species of Peuee- 

 dramiis from Guatemala, and of a species of Geothlypis from Mexico. 

 He also prepared a paper on the birds collected by Dr. W. L. Abbott 

 in the Seychelles and other islands near Madagascar. The curator was 

 detailed for two months in southern Florida, for the purpose of studying" 

 the bird life of that region. 



The routine work has devolved very largely on Mr. Charles W. 

 Eichmond, assistant curator. The latter has determined collections of 

 birds made by Dr. W. L. Abbott in Kashmir, in eastern Turkestan, and 

 in Madagascar. He has also commenced the study of a collection of 

 birds from East Africa, a collection of birds from Margarita Island, 

 Venezuela, made by Lieut. Wirt Kobinson, and a series from eastern 

 Mexico. 



The number of specimens received during the year was about 3,000 



