Vol-XXVIIj j^gf^g and News. Ill 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Fifth International Ornithological Congress will be held in Berlin 

 May 30 to June 4, 1910, under the Presidency of Dr. Anton Reichenow. 

 The Congress will be organized in six sections: I, Anatomy and Palaeon- 

 tology; II, Systematic Ornithology and Geographical Distribution; III, 

 Biology and Oology ; IV, Bird Protection; V, Introduction and Acclimit- 

 ization; VI, Aviculture. The official languages of the Congress will be 

 German, English, French, and Italian. A detailed program will be issued 

 in January. All communications for the Congress should be addressed: 

 V. Internationaler Ornithoiogen Kongress, Berlin N. 4, Invalidenstr. 43. 



Ornithologists will be interested to know that in the alterations and 

 additions to the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia that have 

 just been completed the Ornithological Department has been allotted half 

 of the top floor of the main Museum building, directly over the exhibition 

 bird gallery. There is an abundance of light in the new quarters and the 

 collection of skins is arranged to better advantage than ever before. The 

 specimens, numbering upwards of 50,000, are arranged in 200 metal cases 

 carrying trays 16X 18 inches, and 50 large cases with trays 3X6 feet, while 

 at the west end is a spac'ous work room and meeting room where the 

 Delaware Valley Ornithological Club now holds its sessions. The exhi- 

 bition series of mounted birds numbers about 10,000, besides which is a 

 large collection of osteological material, nests and eggs. 



The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard Univer-;ity has re- 

 ceived during the past year the most noteworthy accessions to its bird 

 collection in its history. These include, as the most important, the E. A. 

 and O. Bangs collection, containing approximately 24,000 skins, chiefly 

 from North and Middle America and the West Indies. Most of th ^se from 

 Central America were taken by Mr. Wilmot W. Brown and Mr. C. F. 

 Underwood, well known as intelligent and energetic collectors, the former 

 noted for his skill in preparing skins of birds and mammals. The specimens 

 have been determined by Mr. Outram Bangs, with the assistance of Mr. 

 Ridgway and Dr. Richmond. They also include the types of the many 

 new forms described in recent years by Mr. Bangs. Another gift of unusual 

 importance consists of several thousand specimens from the interior of 

 central and western China, presented by Mr. John E. Thayer. A collec- 

 tion of over 3000 skins collected in Palestine have been acquired by pur- 

 chase. A considerable number of other skins and mounted specimens of 

 unusual interest have also been acquired, by gift or purchase, from other 

 sources. 



During the year 1909, the American Museum of Natural History in New 

 York received 600 birds from Nicaragua, collected by Mr. William B. 

 Richardson, and other collections from Formosa, Japan, and the Philippine 

 Islands. The number of Nicaragua birds collected by Mr. Richardson 

 for the Musemn now numbers nearly 2000, representing about 400 species. 



