664 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



Report o£ tlie Director of Owens College : — '' The number 

 of donations shows no signs of falling off. By far the 

 most important during the past twelve months has been 

 the collection of birds formed by Mr. H. E. Dresser, which 

 has been purchased and presented to the Museum by a 

 gentleman who desires to remain anonymous. This col- 

 lection formed the basis of Mr. Dresser's great work on 

 ' The Birds of Europe/ and his monographs of the Boilers 

 and of the Bee-eaters, and is one of the most important in 

 the country. Neither trouble nor expense has been spared 

 to make it as complete as possible, and more particularly to 

 make it a working collection. Numerous specialists, who 

 have had the privilege of making use of it in their studies, 

 have united in expressing their opinion of its value in this 

 particular direction. As regards the extent of the collection, 

 there are of Bee-eaters about 30 species and 155 specimens, 

 and of Rollers 26 species with 112 specimens, while the 

 Western Palsearctic collection contains 721 and the Eastern 

 260, making a total of 1037 species, or more, according to 

 the British Museum catalogue. When it is remembered 

 that in almost every instance these forms are represented 

 not merely by a single skin but by several, showing the 

 differences of plumage due to sex, age, and local variation, it 

 will be readily believed that it amounts in total to some 

 10,000 specimens. There are several types and numerous 

 rarities, among which may be mentioned two specimens of 

 the Rosy Gull, whose nesting-place was discovered by 

 Nansen in Franz Josef Land, and two Labrador Falcons. 

 The skins have all been carefully selected, and the collection 

 has been accurately labelled, all particulars as to habitat and 

 other details being recorded. Many specimens have been 

 compared with rare types and noted as agreeing with them ; 

 others are the first or the only recorded specimens that have 

 occurred within the Western Palaearctic area. Enough has 

 now been said to show that the acquisition of this valuable 

 collection is indeed a piece of singular good fortune for the 

 Manchester Museum, and therefore for all students of 

 ornithology in this neighbourhood.'' 



