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MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [Apr. 



acknowledge the indebtedness of the Museum to the Rev. 

 Thomas Marcj for very important assistance rendered by him 

 in collecting in Florida. 



The additions to this department, as to that of Mammals, 

 aside from the Florida collections, have been small. In conse- 

 quence of want of storage room for specimens, some of our 

 correspondents have been invited to retain, for the present, 

 their exchanges ; but it is now hoped that we shall soon be able, 

 not only to heartily welcome any additions, but to make some 

 special effort to increase the ornithological collection. From 

 the special interest attaching to Florida birds, I consider it 

 fortunate that the Museum has been able to secure the greater 

 part of the large collection made in that State last winter, by 

 Mr. C. J. Maynard ; which collection is more than ordinarily 

 valuable from the specimens being accompanied with measure- 

 ments and other notes made from the fresh specimens. It has 

 been for some time known that Florida-born birds, of certain 

 species, differ considerably, in certain characters, from others 

 of the same species born in the northern States ; but the 

 collections made in Florida last winter, now in the Museum, 

 reveal the fact that in all the species which range in the breed- 

 ing season from the Canadas to Florida, the specimens born at 

 these two widely separated localities differ from each other 

 very considerably. The southern are not only the smaller, but 

 they have generally larger, slenderer bills, and brighter and 

 darker or more intense colors. The Florida collections hence 

 afford, not only important material for investigating climatic 

 variations, but very desirable material for exchanges. The 

 invoice of one hundred and three species of skins of East India 

 birds, a part of which are mounted, forms also an important 

 addition. 



Two of the five duplicate collections prepared last year, 

 averaging about eighty species each, have been sent out in 

 exchange, as will be seen by reference to the following sched- 

 ule of additions and exchanges : — 



By Donation, 



Allex, J. A., and Rev. T. Mabcy. {Florida Expedition.) 315 

 specimens, 80 species, skins ; 40 specimens, 26 species, in alcohol ; 

 112 specimens, 45 species, skulls and sternums; 1 egg of Aramus 

 giganteus y all from East Florida. 



