20H REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



the meetiug place of several committees, especially that on species and 

 subspecies, to the work of which the collections and library of the 

 department, and in a measure the assistance of the curator, were iiidis- 

 peu sable. 



During a considerable part of the month of March much assistance 

 Avas given to M)-, George K. Cherrie, ornithologist of the Costa Itica- 

 national museum, in identifying the specimens in a large collection of 

 Costa Rican birds which he brought with him for that purpose, free 

 access to the collection and binary and every other needed facility 

 being given him; and in May siinihir services were rendered to Mr. 

 Charles A. Keeler, of Berkeley, Cal., while engaged in a special investi- 

 gation of the origin of color in birds. 



The matter of sending exhibits to the Worhl's Colund)ian Exposition 

 at Chicago having come up for consideration, i)lans and estimates for 

 ail exhibit of birds were prei)ared and submitted on two occasions, the 

 first requiring material reduction. 



NOTEK UPON THE MORE IMPORTANT ACCESSIONS RECEIVED DURINU 



THE YEAR. 



The total number of specimens added to the bird collection during 

 the year is 2,478, the principal accessions being as follows : 

 Dr. W. L. Abbott (Philadelphia, Pa.): One hundred and seven si)ecimens (alioiit 



60 species) from the Kilima-Njaro district, eastern Africa; 58 specimens (23 



species) from Madagascar, and 59 specimens (22 species) from the Seychelles. 



(Gift.) 

 C. F. Adams (Champaign, HI.): A group of Loggerhead Shrikes, or Butcher-birds, 



showing ii pair of old birds with their nest and young, with natural accessories. 



(Purchased.) 

 F. B. AkmstroX(; (Brownsville, Tex.): Two specimens of Ferruginous Pygmy Owl 



{(ilaKcidiiim pliahriioidcs) and 4 specimens 'I'exas Screech OavI {Meyascops anio 



mccaUil) from Texas. (Purchased.) 

 Edward Baktlktt (The Museum, Maidstone, Kent, England) : I'ifty-oue specimens 



(38 species) chiefly FrinfiiUidw and I'loceido^ from various localities. (Gift.) 

 William Bayley (Washington, D. C): One specimen of Leach's Petrel (Oceaiio- 



droma Jei(corhoa) in the flesh, shot on the Eastern Branch, District of Columbia. 



(Gift.) 

 ROLLO H. Beck (Berryessa, Colo.): One specimen of a new subspecies of Finch 



(Ammodramus caudacntus becki) from California. (Gift.) 

 J. E. Benedict (National Museum, Washington, D. C): One hundred and forty 



specimens (50 species) from South Carolina. A very valuable collection, addijig 



one United States species to the Museum collection, and very acceptably tilling 



out the series of some of the rarer species, besides materially extending the range 



of 3 species. (Gift.) 

 Dr. L. G. Billings, U. S. Navy: Nineteen specimens (14 species) from Africa. 

 William Brewster (Cambridge, Mass.) : Three specimens of the recently described 



Contopus ric/mj'dsonii j>eHi«sM?o', from Lower California. (Gift.) 

 Herbert Brown (Tuscon, Ariz.): One skin of Peucam riificeps houmrdi. (Through 



Capt. Charles E. Bendire, U. S. Army. Gift.) 

 George K. Cherrie (San Jose, Costa Rica): Seventy-three specimens (22 species) 



from Costa Rica. (Gift.) 



