84 REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 
valuable types, and of inestimable service in prosecuting the study of Middle 
and South American birds, only equalled in this respect by the donations of 
Mr. Salvin. 
As might be expected from the plan of operations of the Institution, the 
collections received from Europe and the rest of the Old World, during the year, 
are much inferior in number and extent to those from America. Among these, 
however, should be especially mentioned a series of Scandinavian Ptarmigans 
and of rare northern birds, from Prof, ©. Sundevall, of Stockholm; and of rare 
European eges, from the Royal Artillery Institution, of Woolwich; Prof. Hai- 
dinger and Prof. Hérnes, on the part of the K. K. Geologische Reichsanstalt, in 
eonjunction with the Imperial Mineralogical Museum of Vienna, have presented 
an extensive series of fossils of the tertiary basin of Vienna. The K. Ober- 
Bergamt, of Breslau, has contributed a very useful series of minerals and mining 
products, illustrating the metallurgy of the royal mining establishment of Silesia. 
INVESTIGATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND ENTERING OF COLLECTIONS. 
Steady progress has been made, during the year, in the determination and 
labelling of the collections of the Institution, and the setting aside of the 
duplicates, by the different gentlemen to whom specimens have been intrusted 
for the purpose. I have, myself, been engaged, at moments not otherwise 
occupied, in reviewing the entire collection of birds of America, both north 
and south, in charge of the Institution, and in preparing a descriptive catalogue 
for publication in the Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. Of this review 
about one hundred and fifty pages have been printed, and an additional por- 
tion is in press. I am indebted to several gentlemen for important aid in ear- 
rying out this undertaking, by the loan of specimens necessary for comparison ; 
especially to Mr. George N. Lawrence, of New York; Mr. John Cassin, of 
Philadelphia; Dr. Samuel Cabot, jr., of Boston; and Messrs. Edward and 
Alfred Newton and Mr. O. Salvin, of England. 
Mr. W. S. Morgan, of Washington, has been systematically engaged in 
making a series of drawings of all the varieties of authenticated species of 
North American eggs in the collection, to be used in preparing the illustrations 
to Dr. Brewer’s work on North American Odlogy. 
The following table shows the amount of work done, during the year, in the 
way of registering the collections. 
Table showing the total number of entries on the record-books of the Smithso- 
nian Collections at the end of the years 1863 and 1864. 
1863. 1864. 
Silenneing, Gavalystealiis. S2P Cs Se 5 AS ose booeee aoun acces peageron bees 5, 614 6, 275 
Mammalgecre «ae sie tec oo Se a tre ete tenet els oie Cla nine ne ee ee 7,175 7, 782 
BIG. Sse See ns ses = ee eR ee 5506 H5s00 asepoueDeese sesbes ode ees. fens 31,800 | 35,111 
Lgjilas = SBA SESS aap eeos seesee sa5cs6 coesesereses Sos cenccdsess sos) 6, 325 6, 543 
Wish@s?= c=: 422-25 = -- 2 eb eee a cen noe ee wee ee = | 5,075 5, 404 
DOOR ON [SOR A sees eae oes ose sos ansis sor cueU se bose co Soc ape cba 7,279 8, 700 
Cirustacesm see sect aie Sew etree ee folie oie ele nine eel 1, 287 1, 287 
Richie joo santas SeSe RSE SB ses Stes asses sbociese 266 5252 sodoccSeee 10,450 | 10,525 
TRAGIC c= ce ods dca Saheb soees Jo) ceaueadeons Geecoatbds popseace 2,714 2,725 
TSU ng gaps Aad See Se Bn bo Sees 55555, ee see soduese4 sacsemmoce 2, 550 5, 487 
JibieEikpee sa Sess cHoM ee cQpead one sshd pSnoed Ge Scos csaead case sane 4,476 4, 925 
Idi mA oem Tes a6 eS oaes Saas Sooo Sos6 Soesor ses sso coesssgese 875 1, 048 
STON S584 assed ode seosaod stot Soenen ooedesdc Ssunccsabsdses 110 110 
