SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS. 



INSTEUCTIONS 



IN REFEKENCE TO 



COLLECTING NESTS AND EGGS OF NORTH 

 AMERICAN BIRDS. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



The Smithsonian Institution is desirous of collectinpr as full 

 a series as possible of the nests and eggs of birds of North Ame- 

 rica, with the view not only of exhibiting them in its museum, 

 but also to serve as materials for a work on North American 

 Oology, to be prepared by Dr. Brewer, of Boston, and published 

 in successive parts by the Institution. 



This memoir is intended to give an account of the geographi- 

 cal distribution of North American birds, as well as of their 

 habits and peculiarities during the breeding season, and to be 

 accompanied as far as possible by accurate figures of the princi- 

 ])al varieties of the egg of each species, based upon photographic 

 drawings. Of this work, the first part, embracing the Raptores 

 (vultures, eagles, hawks, and owls), and Fissirostrcs (swallows, 

 swifts, and goatsuckers), has already been published. 



The ol)ject contemplated by the Institution is thus not merely 

 to procure specimens of eggs not previously in its museum, but 

 also to obtain positive evidence as to the limits within which 

 each species rears its young. For this reason it respectfully 

 invites donations from all parts of the country of as many kinds 

 of nests and eggs as can be obtained, with the exception of a 

 few of the very commonest species hereafter mentioned; and asks 

 that especial attention may be directed toward making the col- 

 lection as complete as possible for each locality. As duplicate 

 eggs of all kinds, and in any number, can be readily used iu the 

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