REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF BIRDS IN THE U. S. 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1885. 



By Kobert Eidgway, Curator. 



REVIEW OF IMPORTANT ACCESSIONS. 



The number of specimens added to the bird collection of the Museum 

 during the six months ending June 30 is, of birds (stuffed or in alco- 

 hol), 3,681, and of nests and eggs, 185, the number for each separate 

 month being as follows : 



Months. 



(a) Specimens 



of birds 



(stuffed or in 



alcohol). 



(6) Entries of 

 oological spec- 

 imens (nests 

 and eggs). 



January ... 

 February . . 



March 



April 



May 



June 



Total 



3,681 



Among the most important accessions are the following: A collection 

 of 80 specimens, 35 rare species, from Charles K. Worthen, Warsaw, HI. 

 A collection of 215 specimens, 96 species, chiefly from Costa Eica, seat by 

 Jose" C. Zeledon, including two new species, Cyanocorax cucullatus and 

 Vireolanius viridicoronatus. A large collection of 236 specimens, 96 spe- 

 cies, from Henry Seebohm, London ; this collection is very valuable, em- 

 bracing several conspicuous species new to the collection, besides others 

 of great importance for purposes of comparison. A noteworthy collec- 

 tion contributed by the U. S. Fish Commission, from Key West, Fla., 

 and Cozumel Island, Yucatan ; this latter was of particular interest, as 

 revealiug 19 new species or subspecies previously unknown to science. 

 A very valuable collection of 68 specimens, 40 species, of gulls and terns, 

 from Howard Saunders, London. An adult'male specimen of Brewster's 

 warbler (Helminthophila leucobroncliialis), obtained near Washington, 

 by Wm. Palmer. A varied and valuable collection of 75 specimens, 22 

 species, from the vicinity of Fort Custer, contributed by Capt. Charles 

 E. Bendire, TJ S. A., and including 12 sage-grouse (Centrocercus uropha- 



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