118 PROCEEDINGS OP THE BOARD OP REGENT6. 



of the Smitlisonian Institution tlie assurance tliat the president and the council 

 of the Bath and West of Enghmd society entertain not only a very hig-h sense 

 of the valuable services conferred on the scientific world Ly the labors and pub- 

 lications of the Smithsonian Institution, but they cannot too highly ap])laud the 

 enlightened liberality Avhich has actuated the conductors of the Smithsonian 

 Institution in the establishment of such an admirable system of organization for 

 facilitating the mutual interchange of the publications of the learned and other 

 societies in various parts of the great continent of America and the United King- 

 dom of Great Britain and Ireland. 



Acting in a reciprocal spirit, I have much jdeasure in transmitting, through 

 your recognized agent, several volumes of the Bath and West of England society s 

 journals, in order to complete the set in the library of your Institution, more espe- 

 cially as the earlier volumes can now be obtained only very rarely, as the society's 

 stock is entirely exhausted. 



From Dr. JBreJiiu, the director of the Zoological Gardens. 



Hamburg, September 11, 1S6G. 



I am in receipt of your letter dated the 2d of last month, in which you state 

 that a specimen of the American great horned owl is oflered for the accep- 

 tance of the zoological society of this cit}', by the Smithsonian Institution ; 

 and I have the satisfaction of stating that the bird has arrived in good health 

 and condition, and the society is ver}^ much obliged, and will do itself the pleas- 

 ure of returning the compliment if you will indicate in what manner it can be 

 done. 



If I might further intrude on the kindness of the Institution, it would be to 

 say that some of your common finches (Fringillidce) Avould be very acceptable, 

 as the birds usually imported are only such as, e. g : Cardinalis virginianus, Spiza 

 cinis, Astragalinus tristus, and Cocoborus ludovicianus. But we get overdone 

 with these birds of dealers, and which are popular with private purchasers, who 

 do not value the less externally attractive and common birds which I am anx- 

 ious to possess. Some of the small owls I should also like to have from An:ierica, 

 together with any of j'our ducks, (Anas,) excepting the ''smnmer duck," which, 

 for the same reason as I have above given in regard to other birds, are imported 

 into Europe in quantities. 



It is remarkable that the ^' snow goose," though abounding in the United 

 States in any number of thousands, is not in any European zoological garden. 

 Will you please to think of me with special attention with regard to this bird ? 



From the Chicago Acadcmg of Sciences. 



Chicago, February 11, 1867. 



The undersigned, trustees of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, desiring to 

 signalize in a more special manner their sense of the great obligations the academy 

 is under to the Smithsonian Institution, have caused a list to be made of its recent 

 donations to their library and museum, and take this method of expressing to 

 you their sincere thanks, not only for these books and specimens, but in general 

 for the fostering care with which the Institution has treated, from its inception, 

 our attempt to establish a strictly scientific museum here in the west. 

 Very respectfully, your obedient servants, 



GEO. C. WA.LKER. H. G. LOOMIS. 



• W. E. DOGGETT. E. W. BLATCHFORD. 



E. G. McCAGG. DANIEL THOMPSON. 

 J. YOUNG SCAMMON. 



