Letters, Announcements, S^c. 121 



The U.S. National Museum. — The recently issued Report 

 of the Smithsonian Institution for 1881 contains the follow- 

 ing account of the progress made in that year with the col- 

 lection of birds : — 



" In the department of birds there have been seventy-four 

 accession lots. 1^ Under the direction of Mr. Robert Ridgway 

 there has been much activity in this department in reor- 

 ganizing the exhibition series of specimens and in eliminating 

 duplicates from the storage series. There have been 4345 

 entries in the catalogue. The removal of the mammals and 

 skeletons to the new building will give an opportunity for a 

 much more satisfactory exhibition of the ornithological col- 

 lections. 



''The most important addition has been Mr. Ridgway's 

 private collection of American birds, containing 2302 speci- 

 mens of 778 species, especially important because the speci- 

 mens have been selected in the field to illustrate variations 

 of colour and form due to age, sex, and geographical location. 

 In addition^to numerous small collections, others of special 

 interest have been received of the birds of Mexico and Yuca- 

 tan from A. Boucard, of Paris ; of Surinam from C. J. Hering, 

 of Paramaribo; of Grenada from J. G. Wells, of Saint An- 

 drews ; of Guatemala from L. Guesde ; of Dominica from 

 Dr. H: A. Nichols; of Costa Rica from J. C. Zeledon ; of 

 Japan from Dr. F. C. Dale, U.S.N. ; of Florida from Messrs. 

 J. Bell and S. T. Walker ; of Wyoming from Charles Ruby ; 

 of Indiana from Mr. Ridgway ; and of Illinois from Mr. L. 

 M. Turner. 



" Mr. Ridgway gives the following census of the bird col- 

 lection : — 



Reserve series : 



Mounted specimens .... 7,000 

 Skins 40,000 



Total reserve 47,000 



Duplicates 8,000 



Total 55,000 



SEE. V. VOL. H. 



