2 
themselves in the United States, 
and become injurious pests. After 
the skins are fumigated they are 
placed in specimen cases in a 
"hold-up" area where they are kept 
until they are accessioned. 
Alcoholic specimens are ex- 
cluded from this process since no 
insect could survive the poison of 
the preservative solutions. The 
specimens are instead taken direct- 
ly to the alcoholic collection where 
they await identification and cata- 
loguing. 
The specimens received are 
accessioned as a whole. Accession- 
ing consists of recording where the 
shipment came from, what date it 
was received at the museum, and the 
number and type of specimens re- 
ceived and their disposition. In a 
bird collection as large as that of 
the Smithsonian Institution, if 
great care were not taken in record- 
ing this information, it would be 
easy to mislay a specimen with re- 
sulting delay and frustration. 
Prior to cataloguing, the 
specimens received are identified 
by qualified specialists. This is 
very important since many of the 
birds collected by the POBSP are 
"accidentals", birds found far from 
their normal range. 
When the bird was collected 
such information as location, date, 
breeding condition, molt, etc., was 
recorded in a field catalogue the 
collector carries with him. A 
small label duplicating these data 
was also attached to the specimen's 
leg. Still later these data were 
recorded on a computer card. These 
three sources of recorded data are 
returned to the Museum with the 
specimen. Before cataloguing, these 
three sources of data must be 
cross-checked against one another 
to be certain that all data on each 
source are the same. When this has 
been completed the specimen is then 
recorded into the permanent Museum 
catalogue. After cataloguing the 
specimens are incorporated into the 
main collection of the Smithsonian 
Institution. Here they are stored 
in cases, arranged in systematic 
order. The specimens remain here 
for study by trained ornithologists. 
- Jan Reese 
WHAT TO DO IF 
YOU FIND A BAND 
What do you do if you find a 
live banded bird? 
Do not remove the band, but read 
the number on the band, write it 
down, and release the bird care- 
fully. Hopefully, the banded bird 
will be caught again elsewhere. 
Remember, don't take the band off : 
you might injure the bird. Please 
send in the following information: 
1. Your name and address 
(plainly printed) 
2. All letters and numbers 
on the band. 
3. The date you found the bird. 
4. The place where you found 
the bird. 
5. How you obtained the bird. 
PLACE THIS INFORMATION IN AN 
ENVELOPE AND SEND IT TO THE 
ADDRESS ON THE BAND. 
If you find a band on a dead 
bird, straighten the band out and 
tape it securely to a piece of 
( Cont'd on page 6 ) 
