Letters, Annowicements, (Sfc. 119 



other example of post-natal metamorphosisj in such funda- 

 mental organs, to any thing like this extent. 



"The law enunciated by Von Baer — that the phylogenetic 

 development is represented in the ontogenetic — has a wide 

 expression here. An important ancestral feature is persistent 

 beyond the e^^ or pre-natal development. The animal pro- 

 gressing in its embryonic course passes into its reptilian 

 ancestral type, and before its evolution has carried it through 

 this — its reptilian phase — it emerges from the egg. Thus, 

 from an egg laid by a two-footed two-winged bird, hatches a 

 quadruped animal. 



" For several days after hatching it retains its quadruped 

 character, then, in the open air and sunlight, one pair of legs 

 evolves into wings. Front legs are purposeless in a bird." 



The National Bird-Collection at Washington. — "The bird- 

 collection of the National Museum has increased from 93,091 

 at the end of 1883 to 100,126 up to October 7, 1884,-7035 

 specimens having thus been added since January 1. It 

 may be of interest to our readers to know that the 

 enumeration of the bird-record was begun with 3696 speci- 

 mens, forming Professor Baird's private collection, his 

 catalogue, written in liis own hand, forming Volume i. of 

 the ' Museum Register of Birds,'' which now comprises 

 eighteen volumes, containing a full record of the immense 

 collection built upon Professor Baird's donation. Professor 

 Baird^s cabinet, noAV merged with the general collection, 

 consisted chiefly of specimens collected, prepared, and labelled 

 by himself and his brother, Wm. M. Baird, and its value is 

 further enhanced by many of Audubon's types, presented to 

 Professor Baird by Mr. Audubon. All American ornitho- 

 logists will rejoice that Professor Baird has lived to see so 

 magnificent a collection grow from the comparatively small 

 nucleus which he formed, and with which must be connected 

 in his memory many pleasant associations ; and they all hope 

 that he may live to witness the steadj^ development of what 

 is now the best collection extant of North-American and 



