Vlll INTRODUCTION. 



series of North -American skins of equal extent to the Hume Col- 

 lection of Indian Birds, then I shall he ahle to speak with more 

 confidence on the relations of Nearctic species. 



The value of the recent donations of their great collections by 

 Mr. Allan Hume, Capt. "Wardlaw Kamsay, and Messrs. 0. Salvin and 

 F. Du Cane Godman is amply illustrated in the following pages, 

 and needs no words of mine to enhance it. 



The Museum has recently received some very important gifts 

 from other quarters, which have heen of the utmost assistance in 

 the preparation of this volume of the ' Catalogue.' Amongst these 

 may be mentioned the following: — 



A collection from Lado and the Monbuttu country in Equatorial 

 Africa, presented by Emin Pasha. This collection added several 

 species to the Eritish Museum ; but they unfortunately arrived too 

 late to be incorporated in the body of the work, and are included in 

 the Appendix. 



Many interesting species of Finches and Buntings from various 

 parts of the Bussian Empire, received in exchange from the Imperial 

 Museum of St. Petersburg. 



The collection of FringillidcE formed by the late Mr. W. A. 

 Forbes, and bequeathed by him to the British Museum. 



I likewise desire to express my sincere thanks to the following 

 gentlemen who have materially assisted me in the preparation of the 

 present volume either by the loan or donation of specimens to the 

 Museum : — Capt. Bingham, W. Davison, Esq., Prof. Giglioli, E. 

 Hargitt, Esq., J. F. Jackson, Esq., G. Frean Morcom, Esq., Capt. 

 Stackhouse Pinwill, Henry Seebohm, Esq., Captain Shelley, Colonel 

 Swinhoe, and Canon Tristram. 



The same symbols are employed as have been customary in pre- 

 vious volumes of the ' Catalogue.' " [P.] " means " Presented by ; " 

 " [C ] "= " Collected by ; " " [E.] " = " Bcceived in Exchange." 



R. BOWDLER SHARPE. 

 Dec. 10, 1887. 



