CATALOGUE OF BIRDS COLLECTED BY PROF. FRANCIS SUMI- 

 CHRAST, IN SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO, AND NOW IN THE NA- 

 TIONAL MUSEUM AT WASHINGTON, D. C. 



By George N. Lawrence. 



A few years since, an arrangement was made by Prof. Joseph Henry, 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, with Prof. Francis Sumichrast, 

 for an extended exploration of the Pacific side of the Isthmus of Tehuan- 

 tepec. Southwestern Mexico, for the purpose of procuring specimens of 

 its natural history 



At the request of Professor Henry, I undertook the examination of 

 the birds contained in these collections ; and they have been forwarded 

 to me from the Smithsonian Institution, from time to time, when received. 



During the past four years, four instalments have been sent me, con- 

 taining 321 species, represented by more that 1,700 specimens. 



Circumstances occurred which prevented quite so full an exploration 

 of the isthmus as was at first intended ; however, the specimens sent 

 (which are of a remarkably fine character) bear testimony to Professor 

 Sumichrast's eflSciency as an industrious and energetic collector, and the 

 many valuable notes manifest his accuracy and intelligence as an 

 observer. 



In answer to a remark in one of my earlier letters to him, expressing 

 my surprise that so few new species had been obtained, he says : " I am 

 not astonished at the small number of new species that ray first two 

 collections contain. The region of the Pacific is comparatively much 

 poorer than that of the Atlantic. This must be attributed to the extreme 

 dryness of the soil ; to the scarcity of vegetation and of insect life; and 

 to the duration of the winds from the northeast and southwest, which 

 there prevail with great violence." 



Professor Sumichrast sent me some valuable notes on geographical 

 -distribution, which are given below. 



He has sent also biographies of many species, which are in their 

 proper places in the catalogue. Finding that these biographies did not 



