Birds. 393 



Cormorants (Steganopodes), etc., Grebes (Podidpediformes). [93. 10. 1, 

 1-15 ; 93. 10. 2, 1-689 ; 94. 6. 20, 1-220 ; 95. 2. 10, 1-165.] (Vol. xxvi. 

 of the " Catalogue of Birds.") 



7 types: Oraptocephalus davisoni, Butoridts spodiogaster, Ardetta 

 pulchra, Phaethon indicus, Pelecanus longirostris, Podicipes albipennis, 

 P. albescens. 



761 specimens of Geese and Ducks (Anseriformes). [94. 6. 1, 1-761.] 

 Vol. xxvii. of the " Catalogue of Birds." 



2 types : Cygnus unwini, Nettion albi-julare. 



15,965 specimens of eggs. [91 . 3. 20, 1-9999 ; 92. 9. 1, 1-5966.] 



This sjDlendid collection has been described by Mr. Hume himself in 

 his " Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds," 8vo, 1873, and again in Mr. Gates' 

 edition of the above work (3 vols., 8vo, 1889-90), also in the " Catalogue 

 of Birds' Eggs in the British Museum " (vols, i.-v., 1901-1906). 



In the formation of this collection Mr. Hume received the assistance 

 of a devoted body of Indian eulogists, and the notes that they gave him 

 are published in Mr. Hume's books quoted above. Among the best-known 

 of the contributors were General G. F. L. Marshall and his brother. 

 Colonel C. H. T. Marshall, Colonel C. T. Bingham, Messrs. J. Gammie, 

 L. Mandelli, E. W. Gates, W. Davison, W. Blewitt, R. Thompson, Ehodes 

 Morgan, and Miss Cockburn. 



Mr. Allan Hume is the youngest son of the celebrated Joseph Hume, 

 M.P., and has spent the best part of his life in India, where he was 

 Commissioner of Customs and Secretary to the Government of India, 

 and has held many other appointments. During the mutiny he saved 

 the women and children from Etawah, where he was in command at the 

 time, as well as all the archives and treasure in the city, all of which he 

 brought in safety to Agra. Besieged by the mutineers in the latter city, 

 he took a brave part in the defence, and received his C.B. for gallantry in 

 the field. 



He will, however, be principally remembered for the wonderiul 

 collection of Indian birds and eggs, which he made between the years 

 1862-1885. Not only did he collect vigorously himself, but he employed 

 naturalists in all parts of the Indian Empire, and himself conducted 

 expeditions to Sind and the Mekran Coast, the Andaman and Nicobar 

 Islands, the Laccadives, and the hill regions of Manipur, etc. 



His assistant, William lluxton Davison, was provided with a staff of 

 taxidermists, elephants, etc., and travelled for Mr. Hume in various 

 districts of British India, during the space of 13 years. Davison was a 

 skilled taxidermist and collector, and his explorations in Tenasserim and 

 the Malay Peninsula resulted in the discovery of many new and inter- 

 ■esting species. Mr. Hume also supplemented his own endeavours by the 

 purchase of several other well-known collections, such as the late Mr. 

 Mandelli's series of Sikhim and Tibetan birds, the late Mr. W. E. Brooks' 

 coDections from the plains of India, and many others. For fifteen years 

 he brought out a journal, "Stray Feathers" (1873-1888), in which he 

 published the results of his own efforts and those of his colleagues. 



The Hume Collection was one of the most splendid donations ever 

 made to the Nation, and added to the Museum, which had previously but 

 a poor series of Indian birds, the largest and most complete collection 

 of birds and eg2s from the British Indian Empire the world has ever seen. 



The Hume Collection contained 258 types. 

 Hungarian National Museum, Budapest. 



477 birds from Hungary. Presented. [92. 6. 10, 1-104; 92. 7. 9, 

 1-373.1 



