PROCEEDINGS 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



January 13, 1857. 

 Dr. Gray, F.R.S., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Notes on the Birds in the Museum of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and other 

 Collections in the United States of America. 



By Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A., F.Z.S., etc. 



Having recently returned from a few months' excursion to the 

 United States of America, and had the advantage of a personal in- 

 spection of the principal zoological collections in the northern por- 

 tion of the New World, I think it may interest the Society to give 

 them some account of the state of Ornithology in that country (that 

 being the branch of Zoology to which I paid most attention), and 

 to communicate some notes on new or rare specimens of Birds which 

 thus came under my observation. 



The collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 

 is certainly the best zoological collection in the New World, and 

 in the particular department of Ornithology, and perhaps one or two 

 otber points, is probably superior to every Museum in Europe, and 

 therefore the most perfect in existence. In 1852, when Dr. Rus- 

 chenberger wrote his notice on the origin, progress, and condition of 

 the Academy, the number of specimens of birds was estimated to 

 exceed 27,000, and since that time large additions have been made, 

 and the number has been very considerably increased. Dr. Thomas 

 B. Wilson is, as is well known, the person to whose munificence the 

 Academy is indebted for the greater part of the specimens which 

 make up this magnificent series. The general collection formed by 



No. CCCXXVII. — Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



