1869.] SENATE—NO. 60. 23 
Report on the Birds, by J. A. ALLEN. 
The additions to the ornithological department since the 
last detailed report of receipts, have been very considerable, 
amounting in the aggregate to above two thousand one hundred 
skins, representing about five hundred and fifty species, includ- 
ing nearly three hundred mounted specimens, eighty-seven 
adult birds, and nearly three hundred embryos, in alcohol, five 
hundred and fifty-four dry eggs, and skeletons and parts of 
skeletons of about forty species. 
Though the additions have been chiefly from North America, 
as shown in the subjoined schedule, and largely from New 
England, the foreign invoices received, mostly through ex- 
changes with other museums and individuals, have contributed 
above one-fourth of the skins, and fully four hundred species. 
Among the donations, a collection of more than one hundred 
finely prepared skins of Brazilian birds, the gift of the Emperor 
of Brazil, is especially worthy of notice. Among the additions 
accruing from our exchanges, nearly complete skeletons of four 
species of Dinornis, the latter from Dr. Haast, of Christ-church, 
New Zealand, and from the same gentlemen, and through Pro- 
fessors Layard, McCoy, Kaup and Schimper, large invoices of 
skins from New Zealand, South Africa, Melbourne, the East 
Indies and Europe, are also deserving of particular mention. 
The invoice of Professor Schimper embraces a large series of 
very finely mounted European birds, representing nearly one 
hundred species. The domestic receipts include a fine lot of 
nearly one hundred and fifty mounted specimens of New Eng- 
land birds, selected with special reference to completing a fau- 
nal collection of this region for exhibition, and which contains 
many varieties. 
In order not only to increase the stock of duplicates for 
exchanges, but to bring together large series of specimens of 
a considerable number of species from a single locality, for the 
purpose of affording means for the investigation of the amount 
and character of individual variation, it was decided early in 
the year to collect extensively Massachusetts birds, and in fol- 
lowing out the plan, some thirteen hundred specimens have 
been added during the past season. In carrying on this work, 
we were most fortunate to secure the assistance of Mr. C. J. 
Maynard, of Newtonville, whose enthusiastic co-operation has 
