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AVIFAUNA 



geable for comparative examination and many of them are 

 spoiled because they were exposed during tens of years in 

 bad cases, open to daylight, dust and mould. It is a matter 

 of course, that in a museum must be a collection of well- 

 stuffed specimens for the general public, but three or four 

 specimens in different plumage or age of each species are 

 in most cases more than sufficient; the rest of the material, 

 being by far the largest part and the true scientific material, 

 must be preserved as skins, not be exposed to the general 

 public, but open only to students of ornithology. 



A skin-collection of indigenous birds was absolutely 

 wanting in our Museum and as completing and enlarging 

 of our collection of native birds was very necessary, I 

 entered in relation with collectors in different parts of our 

 country and had till yet the satisfaction, that many speci- 

 mens, and among them some very interesting ones, came 

 in the Museum and that gradually the base of an up-to- 

 date skin-collection of our native birds is formed. 



Special thanks for more or less important donations are 

 due to the following gentlemen: D. Bakker, Dr. J. F. van 

 Bemmelen, E. Blaauw, F. E. Blaauw, J. Boonstra, J. M. 

 Bottemanne, E. J. M. de Bruyn, Mr. J. J. Clotterbooke 

 Patyn van Kloetinge, J. Daalder Dz., R. van Eecke, J. van 

 Essen, W. J. Heyligers, G. Kniphorst, Mr. H. Kuipers, 

 H. Leyborne Popham, J. Molenaar, A. A. van Pelt Lechner, 

 T. M. Pike, G. Polvliet, C. A. L. Smits van Burgst, Mr. R. 

 Baron Snouckaert van Schauburg, G. S. van der Spruyt, C. N. 

 Tieleman, F. A. Yerster van Wulverhorst, F. H. Verster, 

 J. Wurfbain and Mr. R. Baron van Zuylen van Nijevelt. 



I hope these gentlemen will continue in bestowing our 

 collection with interesting birds and also I hope that still 

 many other ones will follow their example and will help 

 to make our collection as good as possible and worthy to 

 be the National Collection. 



Our present government fortunately is also watchful of 

 the interests of science and of our Museum, but at the 

 same time watchful of the interests of the birds of our 



Notes from the Leyden Museum, Vol. XXX. 



