15 



this purpose of moth-proof tin cans, about 125 of which have 

 been ordered. One-half of them have been received and are 

 already in use. They give entire satisfaction, rendering every 

 specimen easily accessible, and affording perfect protection against 

 dust and insect pests, thus insuring the perfect preservation of 

 the specimens. 



The additions to the collection have been wholly unpreceden- 

 ted. In addition to the collections already mentioned, 2,235 

 specimens have been received from Dr. E. A. Mearns, U. S. A., col- 

 lected in Arizona; about 150 have been purchased; 219 have 

 been collected by Mr. Richardson ; 67 were obtained by the Mu- 

 seum Expedition ; 60 have been received by donation from various 

 sources ; and about 250 have been purchased, including 76 mounted 

 birds, for the North American collection. A further addition, 

 worthy of special note, is a skeleton of the Great Auk, recently 

 received as a gift from the United States National Museum. The 

 total additions number about 21,000 bird skins, of which 200 

 are mounted ; about 600 birds' eggs, with many nests, mostly 

 South American ; about 300 sterna, and 12 skeletons. About 300 

 birds previously in the collection have been remounted and placed 

 on exhibition, making about 500 mounted birds added to the ex- 

 hibition series during the year. 



The total number of birds now belonging to the Museum may 

 be safely placed at about 39,000. (Adding Mr. Sennett's collec- 

 tion, of about 5,000 specimens, the total number of birds now in 

 the Museum is about 44,000.) The collection of nests and eggs is 

 second in size and importance to that of the United States 

 National Museum, numbering about 20,000 specimens. Mr. 

 Sennett's collection, equally available for use, contains about 

 7,000, making our resources in this department equal to about 

 27,000 specimens. 



In the last report attention was called to the need of the fur- 

 ther increase of the North American Study Collection of birds. 

 Notwithstanding the many additions of the present year, this part 

 of the collection has been very little improved, and about 10,000 

 specimens should be added to it in order to give it a creditable 

 standing in comparison with similar collections in other museums. 

 This matter may be considered as now especially urgent, since an 

 opportunity is open to the friends of the Museum to purchase, 

 ready at hand, a collection which would not only admirably meet 

 this deficiency, but give the American Museum unquestionably 

 the first place, as regards its ornithological department, among 

 the museums of this country — a position it can never take while 

 this defect remains. 



The reception and care of the large accessions has prevented 

 much progress in cataloguing and labeling the collections, which 

 work, however, has been continued at every opportunity. 



