42 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1897. 



tliis department. Mauy of the specimens referred to above, in the list 

 of important accessions, were, however, collected by the individuals or 

 institutions transmitting them. 



A large quantity of material has been lent for study during the 

 year, and a number of specialists have prosecuted investigations in the 

 department, as will be seen by a reference to the chapters entitled 

 "INIaterial lent for investigation" and "The work of students and 

 investigators at the Museum." 



The Museum is indebted to Mr. H. 0. Oberholser, of the Department 

 of Agriculture, for the identification of certain specimens of owls, and 

 for the arrangement of a small portion of the study series, and also to 

 Dr. A. K. Fisher for special services. 



The time of Mr. Ridgway has been devoted very largely to the 

 preparation of his proposed work on the Birds of North and Middle 

 America. Eegarding the progress made he says: 



Since June 30, 1896, there have been completed the synonymy, family diagnoses, 

 and concomitant matter — except (in most cases) specific diagnoses, statement of 

 geographic range, etc. — pertaining to 31 families, 261 genera, and 1,093 species, 

 belonging to the proper field of the work, besides numerons extralimital genera and 

 species brought into the analytical "keys'' to facilitate identification. 



With the e2:ception of a part of the Fringillidaj the synonymy is now complete 

 (except for final revision) for the entire avifauna of the geographical area bounded 

 on the south by the Panama Railroad, together with the West Indies and the Gala- 

 pagos Archipelago, embracing altogether about 3,000 species, nearly 750 genera, and 

 100 families. The portion of the work completed constitutes in some respects the 

 most laborious part of the undertaking, having involved the collation and verifica- 

 tion of many thousands of references. 



The assistant curator, Mr. C. W. Richmond, was engaged at intervals 

 from July 1 to September 1, 1896, in the determination of Dr. W. L. 

 Abbott's collection from East Africa. This work is still unfinished, 

 however, owing to the great amount of routine and miscellaneous work 

 which has since occupied Mr. Richmond's time. The work of prepar- 

 ing a card (catalogue of the described species of birds, with reference 

 to the original descriptions, tyjie localities, etc., has been continued. 

 ' Twenty-nine papers based directly or indirectly ui^on material 

 belonging to the department have been published during the year. 

 These papers are mentioned by title in the Bibliography (Appendix 

 IV). They contain descriptions of a large number of new sj^ecies and 

 two new genera. 



The plans of the curator for the further development of the depart- 

 ment remain substantially the same as indicated In previous reports, 

 and Mr. Ridgway states that the pressure of other work is so great 

 that no decided advancement can be made along the lines indicated 

 until an additional skilled assistant be employed. 



The number of specimens received during the year was 4,94:7, involv- 

 ing the same number of catalogue entries. The total number of sijeci- 

 mens in the collection is estimated at about 104:,000. 



