310 REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



10. Very rare species, or those nearly extinct, as the Carolina Paroquet, Ivory- 

 billed Woodpecker, P>lack-capped and Jamaican Petrels, Hawaiian Coot, Cuban 

 Macaw, Peale's Sandi)iper (several specimens, the only ones known to exist in col- 

 lections), and numerous other species. 



11. Unique types, such as Fisher's Petrel, Townseud's Bunting, Cooper's Sand- 

 piper, Cooper's Hen-Hawk, Riker's Woodhewer. 



The National ISIuseum collection of North American birds is by far the most com- 

 plete in existence, and is the basis of every important work on North American birds 

 since Audubon's time. That of the birds of the West Indies is also the most impor- 

 tant, although exceeded greatly in number by that of Mr. C. B. Cory, now the 

 property of the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago, 111. That of Central Ameri- 

 can and South American birds is exceeded in extent and value only by the British 

 Museum's series of birds from the same region, and has been freely used by Messrs. 

 Sclater, Salvin, Godman, Count von Berlepsch, and others in their various publica- 

 tions on neotropical birds, and is also largely the basis of Professor Baird's " Review 

 of American Birds." 



Museums throughout the world have been supplied with American birds by the 

 United States National Museum, and the existing specimens of several species, such 

 as the Roseate Gull, Greenland Redpoll, and several Alaskan species, have mainly — in 

 some cases exclusively — been distributed by the National Museum. 



It can safely be said that no collection of birds in the world compares with that 

 of the United States National Museum in value or importance as a basis for scientific 

 investigation already accomplished or yet to be done, since as many species as 

 possible, with the facilities at command, are represented by large series of specimens 

 from all parts of their geographical range and of all known variations dependent 

 on climate, sex, age, or other circumstances. 



The unparalleled collection of North American birds' eggs in the United States 

 National Museum is the result of many years' growth. In the early years of the 

 Institution Professor Bird interested the naturalists of the various Government sur- 

 veys and members of the Hudson Bay Fur Company in the subject, and from them 

 (and especially the latter) thousands of eggs were received. Mr. R. McFarlane^ 

 was particularly active, and with him were associated B. R. Ross, James Lockhart, 

 John Reid, M. McLcod, A. McKenzie, and others, who sent not only eggs, but large 

 collections of other kinds. The Institution sent Robert Kennicott to Arctic America 

 in 1859, where he remained three years, collecting the natural productions of the 

 region, and with them many eggs of Arctic birds. 



Naturalists visiting Alaska and Labrador also made large contributions to the 

 oological collections. The eggs of the rare northern water birds and waders so 

 difficult to obtain for i^rivate collections were thus sent (often in large series) to the 

 Institution. 



In 1884 Major Bendire added to the already large collection his unrivaled series of 

 eggs of western birds, obtained during twenty-five years of duty in the Territories. 

 This collection numbered eight thousand or more beautifully prepared specimens. 

 From that time till his death Major Bendire was untiring in his efiorts to obtain the 

 desiderata of the collection. More recently Dr. William L. Ralph, of Utica, N. Y., 

 has presented his magnificent collection of eggs to the Institution, and is now 

 actively engaged in filling gaps in the series. 



To mention specifically all the rarities in the North American series of the oological 

 department would be an almost endless task. A few of the more important ones are 

 the following : Great Auk, one egg; Heermann's Gull, two eggs; Craveri's Murrelet, 

 two eggs; Jabiru, one egg; Purple, Aleutian, Coues's, Baird's, Pectoral, White- 

 rumped, and Curlew Sandpipers; Sanderling, two specimens (McFarlane); Heath 

 Hen, one specimen; Passenger Pigeon, about thirty eggs; California Vulture, one 



'See his report in Proceedings of the United States National Museum, Vol. XIV, 

 pages 413-446. 



