EEPOET OP NATIOITAL, MUSEUM, 1925 45 



National Geographic Society of 1,611 splendidly prepared bird skins, 

 mostly from the northern and western parts of Yunnan Province, 

 added 50 or more species and subspecies and 4 genera to the museum, 

 including several new to science. The novelties covered the groups 

 of pheasants, pigeons, woodpeckers, flycatchers, thrushes, warblers, 

 wrens, babblers, finches, and particularly members of the group 

 known as " timaliine " birds. Ithaginis rocki a pheasant, and Strix 

 aluco nivipetenSj an owl, were described from this collection, and a 

 very rare genus of wren, Spelaeomis, was represented by one speci- 

 men, the first the Museum has received. Other generic desiderata 

 represented were Propi/rrhula, Horeites, and Moupinia. 



Another collection received from the National Geographic Society, 

 made by F. R. Wulsin in the provinces of Kansu, Chekiang, Fukien 

 and Kweichau, China, and in the district of Laos, Siam^ consisted 

 of 1,199 skins, 120 alcoholics and skeletons and 297 eggs. Several 

 species proved new to the Museum among which may be mentioned 

 especially the genus Pseudopodoces, a very small, ground-inhabiting 

 member of the crow family. Special mention is made of the skele- 

 tons and alcoholics, because collectors of birds too often neglect this 

 very important material of which the National Museum is in great 

 need. Eev. David C. Graham's collections this year consisted of 

 963 skins from the Province of Szechwan, with a number of species 

 new to the Museum, including four species of pheasants, and a 

 grouse of the genus . Tetraophasis. Of special interest were four 

 skins of the rare merganser Mergus squannatus. Collections of 

 birds from Fukien, Anhwei, Kiangsu, and other provinces, sup- 

 plementing those made by Eock, Wulsin, and Graham, were sent, 

 through Col. R. S. Clark, by A. deC. Sowerby. These included the 

 rare Paradoxornis h&udei^ a thick-billed bird related to the shrikes 

 and titmice, and the genus Oreocorys^ a member of the wagtail 

 family, both new to the Museum. 



Dr. Casey A. Wood presented 53 bird skins and one skeleton from 

 the Fiji Islands. A species of cuckoo {Gacomantis infuscatus) and 

 a thick-head (Pachycephala aurantiiventris) were new to the col- 

 lection; several shrike-like birds of the genus Pinarolestes were of 

 special interest. A majority of the specimens furnished the Museum 

 with modern material where previously it possessed only old and 

 faded birds from the United States Exploring Expedition, of about 

 1840. The Biological Survey, of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, transferred to the Museum a number of skeletons, eggs 

 and nests, besides 20 bird skins collected by Charles L. Fagan at 

 sea, chiefly along the Pacific coast of South America. Among these 

 were several species new to the Museum including ceanodroma 

 horribyi and O. marhhami^ and a skin of the Chilian pelican iPele- 

 canus thagus) which, although described as early as 1782, was previ- 



