REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF BIRDS' EGGS 

 IN THE U. S, NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



By Ghas. E. Bendike, U. S. A., Honorary Curator. 



The routine work has been as follows : Taking the measurements of, 

 numbering, and arranging 739 specimens ; relabeling and arranging 

 part of the reserve series of eggs, after the check-list of the American 

 Ornithologists Union; revising and arranging in numerical order a 

 large number of register sheets ; and determining the average meas- 

 urements of each genus thereon recorded. 



In addition to the routine work, I have been, aud am at present, en- 

 gaged in writing a work on the "Life Histories of North American 

 Birds," with especial reference to their breeding-habits and eggs. Some 

 80 species have already been written up, and the manuscript for vol- 

 ume i will be ready by January 1, 1891. 



The following important accessions were received during the year : 



From Lieut. H. C. Benson, U. S. Army, Fort Stanton, New Mexico, 3 eggs of Cyanocitta 



stelhri macrolopha (Baird). (Gift.) 

 From Lieut. M. H. Baruum, U. S. Army, Marathon, Texas, 12 eggs of Callipepla 



squamata. (Gift.) 

 From Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Washington, District of Columbia, 4 eggs of Picoides 



americanu s. ( G i f t . ) 

 From Mr. Herbert Brown, Tucson, Arizona, a handsome series of selected eggs from 



Arizona, containing 21 sets of Harporhynchus curvirostris palmeri, and others 



equally interesting. (Gift.) 

 From Mr. R. MacFarlaue, chief factor of the Hudsons Bay Company, an exceedingly 



valuable collection of nests and eggs, made near Fort St. James, New Caledonia 



District, including, among many others, such rare eggs as those of Dendragapus 



franklini, Totanus melanoleucus, Junco oregonus shufeldti, Empidonax hammondi, 



and others equally rare. (Gift.) 

 From Mr. Denis Gale, Gold Hill, Boulder County, Colorado, a beautifully prepared 



lot of nests and eggs from Colorado, all important acquisitions; among them 



1 set, 4 eggs of Megascops asio maxwellice ; 1 set, 3 eggs of Nyctale acadia ; 1 set, 4 



eggs of Falco peregrinus anatum; 1 set, 3 eggs and nest of Contopus borealis ; 1 set, 



4 eggs and nest of Empidonax difficilis ; 1 set, 4 eggs and nest of Cyanocitta stelleri 



macrolopha, and others. (Gift.) 

 From Mr. A. M. Ingersoll, San Diego, California, 3 eggs and nest of Ammodramus 



beldingi. New to the collection. (Gift.) 

 From Mr. A. W. Anthony, San Diego, California, 1 set, 3 eggs of Pelecanus californicus 



New to the collection. (Gift.) 



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