1 ( J2 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1901. 



BIRDS. 



The collection of birds shown at Buffalo consisted of 416 specimens, 

 representing the most striking native forms of the Western Hemi 

 sphere. It contained representatives of the largest as well as the 

 smallest of the birds of this region. Prominent among the species of 

 special interest was the condor {Sarcorhamphus gryphus) of the Andes 

 of South America. (Plate 13.) The specimen exhibited was a male 

 in fully adult plumage, which is attained only after the bird is 6 or 7 

 years old. As an example of the best style of taxidermy the specimen 

 was not surpassed by any other in the collection. With the condor 

 was exhibited the California vulture {Oymnogyps calif ornianus) , a near 

 relative and one which rivals it in size. It was once common on the 

 Pacific coast of the United States, but it is now confined to the less 

 accessible mountains of California. 



The harpy eagle {Thrasaetos harpyia), a bird of great strength and 

 cruel aspect, living in the dense lowland forests of tropical America, 

 was represented by a tine adult specimen. Both the golden and the 

 bald eagles (the latter being the American "'bird of freedom)" were 

 represented by well-mounted specimens. The largest bird shown was 

 the rhea {Rhea americana), the New World representative of the African 

 ostrich. It lives on the grassy plains of southern South America. 

 The prince of American game birds, the wild turkey {Meleagris gallo- 

 pavo fera), was shown in its characteristic attitude of strutting. In 

 this specimen the naked parts about the head and neck were colored 

 as in life. Elsewhere in the collection an effort was also made to ren- 

 der the natural colors of faded parts by painting. The necessity of 

 so doing is strongly felt in such birds as the toucans, whose most 

 striking characteristic is the brilliant coloration of the enormous bill, 

 These bright tints disappear at death and in museum specimens must 

 be reproduced by pigments. Several specimens of these toucans were 

 exhibited, each one differing from its fellows in tints and pattern of 

 color of its bill. Among the species shown were Cuvier's toucan 

 ( Ramphastos cuvieri), the Tocard toucan (i?. tocard), the toco (H. toco), 

 the red-billed toucan {Ii. erytkrorhynchus), etc. Of the parrots 

 exhibited the hawk parrot (Deroptyus ace ipitr inns) deserves special 

 notice. It is remarkable for its tiara-like crest of bright colors, and 

 is an uncommon species, native of the Amazon region. From the 

 mountains of the small island of Dominica was shown the rare imperial 

 parrot {Amazona imperiaMs), conspicuous for its unusual purple color- 

 ing. Of equal interest was the St. Vincent parrot {Amazona guil- 

 dingi), which is noted for the yellow markings on its wings. Other 

 noteworthy species of parrots exhibited were the grass-green paroquet 

 of Brazil, a vivid green bird scarcely as large as a sparrow and one of 

 the smallest members of this family; and the Carolina paroquet (< bnu- 



