"V) 



from time to time, when ready, b) r the North German Lloyd's 

 Line of Steamships from Bremen. A full and complete cata- 

 logue of the collection was furnished, and deposited with Mr. El- 

 liot, and when copied he will forward the original. 



The collection consists of 4,000 mounted birds, 600 mounted 

 mammals, and about 2,000 fishes and reptiles mounted and in al- 

 cohol. It is regarded as one of the most important private col- 

 lections in Europe, and Mas long been consulted by the scientific 

 world, and contains a large number of types, the results of the 

 Prince's explorations in South America, and many rare specimens 

 which have been secured at intervals during the period of a long 

 lifetime. We were informed by competent experts that the cost 

 of mounting this collection exceeds the price we paid for it. 



The fact that we had secured the important collection of Prince 

 Maximilian rendered the labor of selecting from the different de- 

 partments of the Verreaux collection, one requiring great care ; 

 and such work could only be done by one possessing scientific 

 knowledge. This labor was performed with great assiduity and 

 skill by Mr. Elliot. A large number of the selections from this 

 collection embraced the rarest specimens, as they were required 

 only to enlarge and complete our collections already obtained. 



Our negotiations resulted in purchasing the following specimens 

 from the different departments of this well-known collection, viz. : 

 about 2,800 mounted birds, 220 mounted mammals, and 400 

 mounted skeletons of mammals, birds, reptiles and fishes, at a cost 

 of about $16,000 in gold. In this connection I may state, that 

 the price asked for the collection from which the above were se- 

 lected was $45,000 in gold. Mr. Elliot informed me that these 

 specimens, with those previously procured, would render the re- 

 maining portion of the Verreaux collection, after our selections 

 were withdrawn from it, of little value to our Museum. 



In addition to the above purchases, at the earnest solicitation 

 of Mr. Elliot I purchased from M. Vedray about 250 specimens 

 of mounted mammals and Siberian birds, which were regarded as 

 very rare by scientific collectors. The price paid was $1,000 in 

 gold. 



Particular pains were taken to obtain the cheapest rate of 

 freight, and the Cunard Line having made the lowest bid, orders 

 were given to forward the Paris collections in their steamers. 



