and its Collection of Birds. 69 



of stuffed birds, and arranged them in the cases of the 

 gallery, which was opened to the public on the 1st of April, 

 1878. But by far the greater part of the Collection of 

 Birds is now kept in skins. These skins are arranged in a 

 series of large cabinets, placed on two long balconies built 

 on the top of the exhibition cases, which run the length of 

 the Bird Gallery on both sides of the Museum. 



This skin-collection was commenced by Dr. Anderson when 

 he was first appointed curator in 1865, but has increased 

 enormously since that time, so that there are now in it at 

 least 10,000 skins of Indian birds alone. It will be perhaps 

 interesting to mention the principal sources from which this 

 series of skins has been derived. 



One of the most important contributors to the collection 

 of birds^-skins was Mr. W. T. Blanford, whose principal 

 collections were as follows : — 



(1) That from the Central Provinces and the neighbour- 

 hood of Chanda in 1867, of which an account will be found 

 in the ' JournaP of the Asiatic Society (vol. xxxviii. p. 164). 



(2) The large collection of African Birds made during the 

 Abyssinian Expedition of 1867-68, and described by him in 

 his book on the ' Geology and Zoology of Abyssinia.^ 



(3) The Persian collection made by Mr. Blanford and 

 Capt. (afterwards Sir) Oliver Beauchamp St. John in Persia 

 and Baluchistan during the years 1870-73. These were 

 described by Mr. Blanford in his book on ' Eastern Persia ■* 

 (vol. ii.. Zoology and Geology). 



(4) Considerable collections of birds from Sind and the 

 Mekran Coast, made by Mr. Blanford and received in ex- 

 change from him in the year 1877-78. 



Dr. John Anderson, the first Superintendent of the Mu- 

 seum, has also contributed a large number of collections, 

 besides numerous individual specimens obtained from time 

 to time by him in the neighbourhood of Calcutta and Dar- 

 jeeling. The following more important collections were 

 made by him : — 



(1) The collections of birds made during the two expe- 

 ditions to Yunnan, which Dr. Anderson accompanied as 



