9 2 



THE HUMMING BIRD. 



[December i, 1891 



It was formed by the late Thomas Davidson, Esq., 

 between the years 1837 and 1886. 



His collection, both of recent and fossil Brachio- 

 poda, together with all Dr. Davidson's original draw- 

 ings, his numerous books and pamphlets were be- 

 queathed by him to the British Museum through his 

 son, William Davidson, Esq., in February, 1886. 

 '*_ By his direction the entire collection of recent and 

 fossil species are to be kept together in one series for 

 the convenience of reference for all men of science 

 who may wish to consult the same. 



STAIRCASE. 



On the first landing of the monumental staircase 

 facing the centre of the hall is placed the seated 

 marble statue of the celebrated Naturalist Charles 

 Darwin (1809- 1882) to whose labours the study of 

 natural history owes so vast an impulse. The statue 

 was executed by Sir J. E. Boehm, R.A., as part of 

 the " Darwin Memorial" raised by public subscription. 

 Above the first landing the staircase divides into 

 two flights, each leading to one of the corridors which 

 flank the west and east sides of the Hall, and by 

 which access is gained to the galleries of the first 

 floor. At the southern end of these corridors a stair- 

 case from each, raised on an arch which spans the 

 hall, join to form a central flight leading to the second 

 floor. On the landing at the top of this flight is 

 placed a marble statue, by Chantrey, of Sir Joseph 

 Banks (1 743-1820), the magnificent patron of science 

 and scientific men, who for forty one years 'presided 

 over the Boyal Society and was an active Trustee of 

 the Museum. His splendid botanical collections are 

 preserved in the adjoining gallery ; but his unrivalled 

 library of works on natural history, also bequeathed to 

 the Museum, remains in the old building at Blooms- 

 bury. 



The west corridor contains a portion of that very 

 interesting collection of British birds with their nests, 

 which have not found room in the Bird Gallery on 

 the ground-floor. The specimens placed here belongs 

 mostly to the Perching or Passerine Order. It is 

 excessively good and very instructive and much 

 appreciated by the general public. 



On the opposite side, " east corridor," is placed 

 the fine collection of Humming Birds, " Trochilidce" 

 formed and mounted by the late Mr. John Gould, 

 one of the most celebrated Naturalists of this century, 

 and purchased for the Museum after his death in 

 1881. 



John Gould commenced the study of this 

 family of birds some forty years ago. The diffi- 

 culties of obtaining new and rare species from 

 countries previously untrodden by the collector were 

 greater than they are in the present time ; but the 

 energy and enthusiasm of John Gould overcame all 

 obstacles ; he lost no opportunity of acquiring at any 

 cost, species not represented in his collection, he 

 incited, by high rewards, travellers to go specially in 

 search of rare or unknown species ; and after the 

 lapse of twenty years he had succeeded in bringing 

 together a series far exceeding in variety of forms his 

 own expectation or that of Ornithologists generally. 



He commenced the publication of a great work " the 

 Monograph of the Trochilidse," which finally extended 

 to five volumes in folio, and comprised descriptions 

 and figures of over 400 different species. 



From an early period he began to mount the most 

 remarkable types, placing as much as possible allied 

 forms in the same case, and demonstrating their 

 habits and chief characteristics, and especially the 

 ever varying hues of their colours, by the different 

 attitudes in which he arranged the specimens. This 

 collection of mounted Humming Birds contained 

 about 300 species and 2,000 specimens, when he 

 exhibited it in the Zoological Gardens in Regent's 

 Park during the great Exhibition of 185 1. It proved 

 one of the great attractions in London during that 

 memorable year ; and after it had been exhibited to 

 the public for a year or two, he removed it to his 

 residence in Charlotte Street, Bedford Square, where 

 he had built a gallery for its reception. Here it was 

 seen and admired by hundreds of naturalists during 

 his life time. 



It was always Mr. Gould's hope and wish that the 

 whole collection of mounted and unmounted 

 specimens should be preserved as the property of the 

 Nation, and accordingly it was offered by his executors 

 to the trustees of the British Museum who eventually 

 purchased it. 



At that time I was at Nice, where I first heard of 

 Mr. Gould's death, and that his collection was for 

 sale. I came at once to London and offered to buy 

 it for the price asked to the British Museum, and in 

 so doing I roused a sort of emulation among the 

 authorities of the British Museum, which resulted in 

 the prompt acquisition of the collection. This 

 acquisition was all the more important, as almost all 

 the original specimens from which the figures on his 

 work on Humming Birds were taken, are contained 

 in it. 



Among the many types contained in the collection 

 are three of new species discovered by me in Mexico, 

 when I was not an amateur myself. They are 

 Phaeoptila sordida, Cyanomya violiceps and Selas- 

 phorus pulchra. Few are the naturalist travellers of 

 the second part of this century who have not con- 

 tributed in procuring new or rare species for Mr. 

 Gould. Among them I may mention such naturalists 

 as Bourcier, Salle, Buckley, Bartlett, Salvin, and 

 many others. In the last years of his life his great 

 ambition was to procure some specimens of the 

 rare genus and magnificent species Loddigesia mirabilis, 

 known only by one specimen, discovered by 

 Matthews at Chachapoyas, Peru, when travelling for 

 the account of the well-known botanist Loddiges, who 

 had formed a very fine collection of Humming 

 Birds. This typical specimen is still in the collection 

 of his grandson, Conrad Loddiges, of London. 



I was present when he offered to Buckley (who 

 in a previous voyage had seen the bird, but had not 

 been able to procure any) fifty pounds a piece for 

 ten specimens, if he could get them. 



He was as enthusiastic about it as a young col- 

 lector ; but unfortunately Buckley came back without 

 the bird, although he stayed several months purposely 

 at Chachapoyas and tried very hard to get some. 

 Soon after, Jelski, a successful traveller, who was 



