530 Letters, Annomicements, ^c. 



donors have been engaged in the formation of a collection of 

 the birds of Tropical America for many years, and are at 

 present describing its contents in their magnificent work 

 entitled ' Biologia Centrali-Araericana/ In order to render 

 their collection, as soon as possible, available for general 

 study, and more especially for the purpose of the ' Catalogue 

 of Birds,^ which the Trustees are publishing at present, they 

 have offered to transfer to the British Museum such parts as 

 have been completed in their work. All the specimens are 

 in the most perfect condition and accurately labelled, so that 

 their incorporation into the general collection entails no 

 more work than the mechanical labour of placing them in 

 the cabinets. 



'' Besides the ' Hume ' collection with 82,000 skins, nests, 

 and eggs, and besides 5331 specimens from the ' Salvin and 

 Godman^ collection, and 2281 from the ' Sclater' collection, 

 the additions amount to 2149, of which the most important 

 are the following : — 



" Pairs of the parent birds of the Ring-Ouzel, Shoveller, 

 Teal, Pochard, and Tufted Duck, with their nests and eggs, 

 from Norfolk ; presented by Lord Walsingham. 



" Pairs of the parent birds of the Common Gull, Herring- 

 Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern (five pairs), and 

 Hichardson^s Skua (two pairs, with their nests and eggs, or 

 young, from the Island of Moussa, Shetland) ; presented by 

 Lieut. G. H. Bruce, R.N., and E. M. Nelson, Esq. 



" Nest and young, with parent bird of the Common Wren ; 

 presented by Colonel Irby. 



" A pair of Teal, with nest and young, from Tring ; pre- 

 sented by the Hon. Walter Rothschild. 



" Nine hundred and thirty-six specimens from various 

 localities; presented by R. Bowdler Sharpe, Esq. 



" Thirty Finches from Northern Prance and the Vosges 

 Mountains ; presented by E. Hargitt, Esq. 



"Twenty specimens of Finches and Starlings from Norway; 

 presented by the Christiania Museum. 



" Twelve specimens of rare Buntings from Siberia and 

 Japan ; presented by Henry Seebohm, Esq. 



