X INTRODUCTION. 



Willoughby Verner of eggs obtained by him in the Soudan ; the 

 other from the Royal Society, consisting of the specimens taken 

 on the island of Fernando Noronha by Mr. H. N. Ridley. 



In 1890 the bequest of Dr. R. McCormick, consisting chiefly of 

 sea-birds' eggs obtained during his voyages in the * Erebus ' and 

 ' Terror/ was received by the Trustees. Also a collection made by 

 Mr. W. D. Gumming in the Persian Gulf, and a few specimens 

 brought by Mr. St. George Littledale from Central Asia. 



Considerable additions were made in 1891. Foremost among 

 these was the donation by Mr. Howard Saunders of his well-known 

 series of eggs of Gulls and Terns. Professor George Dawson's 

 collection, formed while he was engaged on the North American 

 Boundary Commission, was of considerable interest. The follow- 

 ing small contributions were also made : A collection made by 

 Mr. J. J. Lister in the islands of the Pacific Ocean ; one made by 

 Captain Collinson, Commander of H.M.S. ' Enterprise,' in Arctic 

 America ; and, lastly, some eggs taken in North-west Australia 

 by Mr. J. J. Walker, during the voyage of H.M.S. Penguin/ 

 presented by the Admiralty. 



In 1893, Mr. F. A. Philbrick, Q.C., presented a collection of 

 eggs of Australian birds formed by his son, mostly in Gippsland, 

 Victoria ; and Sir W. M. Conway gave some specimens from the 

 Himalayas. 



It was in 1893 that the late Henry Seebohm presented his fine 

 collection of eggs to the Trustees. This valuable gift was brought 

 to the Museum in instalments, and Seebohm was engaged for two 

 years, with the assistance of Miss Emily Sharpe, in arranging and 

 incorporating his specimens with the general collection of the 

 Museum. In fact, he undertook to rearrange the whole series of 

 eggs in accordance with the * Catalogue of Birds,' which was then 

 approaching completion, and to incorporate the Hume, the Salvin- 

 Godman, and some minor collections together. This task was 

 fortunately completed before his death, and he left the bulk of the 

 collection arranged in most methodical order, with the name of 

 each species and the history of each clutch of eggs carefully recorded, 

 not only in the cabinets but also in a Catalogue which occupies 

 ten volumes of manuscript. The eggs of the Passeriform.es were 

 arranged by Miss Emily Sharpe, under her father's direction. 

 Seebohm's labours, as may be imagined, have greatly facilitated the 

 writing of the present Catalogue. 



