60 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



senting 123 species. Considerable time was also spent in unpacking 

 and installing the exhibits which had been sent to the International 

 Fisheries Exhibition, London, in 1883. 



Mr. Bidgway reports that the year has been unprecedented in the 

 extent of the accessions. The number of birds added during the* year 

 is 8,142, 2,658 skins having been distributed. Of this number 94 speci- 

 mens were collected during the cruise of the United States Fish Com- 

 mission steamer Albatross among the West India Islands; 675 speci- 

 mens, mainly from Japan, and presented by Capt. T. W. Blackiston; 

 473 specimens from the British Museum; 768 specimens from Alaska 

 and 21 specimens from Arizona, collected by E. W. Nelson; 256 speci- 

 mens, chiefly from India, received from Mr. E. Bowdler Sharpe, of the 

 British Museum; 84 specimens presented by Dr. Leonhard Stejneger; 

 478 specimens from Northern California, and 55 specimens from the Far- 

 allone Islands, collected by Mr. Charles H. Townsend; and 1,705 speci- 

 mens from TTngava, Labrador, collected by Mr. Lucien M. Turner. 

 Many other large and valuable accessions were also made, as will be 

 seen by referring to the list of accessions in the report of the curator. 

 Nearly 3,000 specimens were sent out in exchange or loaned for exami- 

 nation. 



Birds' eggs. 



The collection of birds' eggs has been overhauled and rearranged 

 by Capt. Charles E. Bendire, U. S. A., the honorary curator of this de- 

 partment, who has also presented to the Museum his magnificent col- 

 lection of about 8,000 eggs. The grand total of specimens in this sec- 

 tion is 40,072. of which 35,800 are North American. This collection now 

 represents nearly all that is known of American oology, and contains 

 40,072 specimens, of which 4,272 are foreign. 



A large collection of 468 specimens was received from Dr. James C. 

 Merrill, U. S. A. Other important accessions were made by Mr. E. 

 W. Nelson, Lieut. P. H. Eay, U. S. A., Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, Mr. 

 Charles H. Townsend, Governor Fencher, of Godthaab, Greenland, and 

 others. 



Forty-five specimens were exchanged or loaned for examination. 



(c) Department of Reptiles and Batrachians. 



Extensive and valuable additions have been made to the collections 

 of this department during the year. Dr. H. C. Yarrow has continued 

 to serve as curator in the capacity of volunteer. It has not yet been 

 found practicable to assign any space in the Museum for the exhibition 

 of these collections, and owing to the already crowded condition of the 

 new Museum building it is feared that no exhibition space can be as- 

 signed to this department until the Museum shall have been enabled to 

 extend its walls. During the summer the curator visited Utah for the 

 purpose of scientific study, and while there collected many interesting 



