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under certain very reasonable conditions, about twelve hundred 

 North American birds, together with nearly three hundred Hum- 

 ming-birds from North, Central, and South America. These speci- 

 mens constitute the greater part of a collection widely known 

 among ornithologists as the " Greene Smith Collection," and of 

 which a catalogue has been printed and distributed. 



In many respects the collection of mounted North American 

 birds is the most complete and valuable that has ever been 

 brought together, at least by private effort. It was begun in 

 1867, and the work continued up to the time of Mr. Smith's 

 death, in 1880, after which only a few specimens were added. 

 At first, Mr. Smith hoped to collect all the birds himself, and 

 very many were taken by him personally, chiefly in Madison 

 County, New York, Cook County, Illinois, and Hernando County, 

 Florida ; but failing health finally compelled him to abandon this 

 plan, and to buy a considerable number of skins, most of which, 

 together with all the Humming-birds, were obtained from John 

 G. Bell, of New York City. The entire collection, with the ex- 

 ception of a few birds, was mounted by Mr. Bell, who at one 

 time stood foremost amongst American taxidermists, and whose 

 best work is perhaps not excelled by any of the present day. 



The conditions above referred to are, in brief, that the North 

 American birds shall be kept together and known as the " Greene 

 Smith Collection," and that each specimen originally belonging 

 to it shall be so labelled. Imperfect or otherwise unsatisfactory 

 specimens may be discarded, but all such must be returned to 

 Mrs. Smith or her heirs. The collection may be added to, how- 

 ever, at the discretion of the officers of the Museum. 



These conditions have been accepted, and the collection has 

 been safely transported to Cambridge. It will be arranged and 

 placed on exhibition as soon as some changes necessary for its 

 reception have been made in the cases of the Nortli American 

 Room. Some of the best of the old birds will be retained and 

 added to the new collection, but most of them will be unmounted 

 and distributed among the collection of skins. The Humming- 

 birds are to be placed in a case by themselves, probably in one 

 of the Systematic Rooms. 



An important addition has been made to the exhibit in the 

 Pacific Room by the purchase, from Mr. Scott B. Wilson, of the 

 following birds from the Sandwich Islands : Charadrius fulvus, 



