INTRODUCTION. 



IX 



In 1884, the Museum received two small collections, one made 

 by Mr. John Whitehead in Corsica, and the other by Mr. E. W. 

 Gates in Burma. 



In 1885, a particularly valuable series of eggs of Madagascan 

 birds was acquired from the Rev. W. Deans Cowan. They are 

 the only specimens from this island in the Museum, and their 

 value cannot be over-estimated. 



It was in 1885, and almost simultaneously, that the magnificent 

 collections formed by Mr. Allan 0. Hume, C.B., and Messrs. 

 Osbert Salvin and F. DuCane Godman were presented to the 

 Trustees. These collections were of such magnitude that some 

 time necessarily elapsed before they were finally incorporated with 

 the general collection and made available for study. 



The Hume Collection consists almost entirely of the eggs of 

 Indian birds. Mr. Hume seldom or never purchased a specimen, 

 and the large collection brought together by him in the course of 

 many years was the result of the willing co-operation of numerous 

 friends resident in India and Burma. Every specimen in the 

 collection may be said to have been properly authenticated by a 

 competent naturalist; and the history of most of the clutches 

 has been carefully recorded in Mr. Hume's ' Nests and Eggs of 

 Indian Birds,' of which two editions have been published. 



The Salvin-Godmari Collection is of a more general character. 

 As might be expected, it is rich in eggs of American birds. Not 

 only did the above-named naturalists themselves collect in Central 

 America, but they also purchased several important collections, 

 chief among which should be mentioned that of Mr. T. K. Salmon, 

 who formed a remarkably fine collection in the United States of 

 Colombia. The Henshaw Collection of eggs of North-American birds 

 was afterwards acquired by Dr. Godman ; and the Smithsonian 

 Institution appears to have been ever ready to present specimens to 

 these two well-known naturalists. The large collection made by 

 Salvin in Algeria, upwards of forty years ago, is most valuable, not 

 only on account of the rarity of many of the specimens but for the 

 absolute authenticity of their identification. The eggs of European 

 birds are well represented ; and a small number of Indian specimens 

 were received from Mr. E. L. Layard (Ceylon) and Capt. R. C. Beavan 

 (Bengal). 



In 1887, a small but valuable collection of eggs from Norfolk 

 Island was presented by Dr. W. M. Crowfoot. 



In 1888, two small donations were received : one from Lieut.-Col. 



