"A527 





Collection of Birds.* 



INTRODUCTORY. 



The collection of birds exhibited in the Bird Hall numbers 

 about ii,ooo specimens, of which 3000 are North American, 3000 

 Soiith American, and about 5000 from the Old World. The col- 

 lection consists chiefly of three important collections purchased 

 by the Trustees in 1869-70. These are (i) the Elliot Collection 

 of North American birds, received as skins and subsequently 

 mounted by the well-known taxidermist, John G. Bell, of this city. 

 (2) The Maximilian Collection, consisting of about 4000 mounted 

 birds, from various parts of the world, but mostly European and 

 South American. The greater part of the South American birds 

 now on exhibition are from the Maximilian Collection, and include 

 many types of species described by Prince Maximilian.f (3) The 

 Verreaux Collection, consisting of about 3000 mounted birds, 

 selected with great care by Mr. D. G. Elliot from the immense 

 stock of the celebrated French commercial naturalists, the 

 Verreaux Brothers, of Paris. In addition to these collections, 

 many specimens have been purchased to complete the North 

 American collection, chiefly from Prof. H. A. Ward, of Rochester, 

 New York. 



Arrangement of the Collection. — The North American 

 birds occupy Cases B to F on the east side of the Hall, forming 



* The attention of the visitor is especially called to the Alphabetical Index at the end of 

 the Guide, where are given not only the English and scientific names of all the principal groups 

 of birds in the collection, but a reference to their position in the cases and to the page in the 

 Guide where they are mentioned. 



+ Maximilian, Prince zu Wied-Neuwied, Germany (born 1782, died 1867), was a well-known 

 traveller and naturalist. In 1815-17 he travelled extensively in Brazil, exploring the countrj' in 

 the interest of natural history, forming large collections, and subsequently publishing (1825-33) 

 an elaborate work giving the results of his researches, four volumes of which were devoted to 

 birds. He made a natural-history journey through North America in 1832-34, going as far into 

 the then almost unexplored West as the Upper Missouri. Many of the birds collected on that 

 expedition are in the present collection. 



