526 
FOURTH BULLETIN OF 
[1846. 
DR. ABADIE’S LETTER. 
Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania, August 8, 1845. 
Sir : Herewith I enclose a correct list of the collection of birds I tendered to you 
last fall, which you did me the honor to accept ; either to form the nucleus of a 
cabinet for the Medical Department of the Army, or to be disposed of as you may 
deem it expedient, by presenting it in the name of the Medical Department to the 
National Institute, or to any other scientific institution you may prefer. 
I regret very much, that during my long absence from home, what was a very 
complete collection of the birds of the United States, should, from want of proper 
care and attention have been reduced to some two hundred species only : fortunate- 
ly, many very rare species have escaped destruction, viz : the Carracara Eagle, male 
and female, Florida Jay, Canada Jay, Cliff Swallow, a new species of Tyrant Fly- 
catcher, Ibis Fusea, Brown Crane, Spoonbill, Darter, Guillemot, Petrel, &c., &c. 
I have retained, thus long, the list, for the purpose of availing myself of oppor- 
tunities afforded here to replace some specimens, or to renew such as were not as 
good preparations as I could have wished: I will continue to do so in order to 
make the collection a complete one. 
I would call your attention to a curious preparation accompanying the “ Whist- 
ling Swan” of its sternum, showing the singular manner in which the trachea 
after reaching it, dips between the lamina of the bone, which separate to receive it ; 
making a turn upon itself near the eneiforms cartilage, it returns to the entering 
point and goes to be distributed in the usual manner to the lungs. Thus more 
than a third of the trachea is actually contained within the sternum, the external 
coat of the trachea being continuous with the internal periostium of the bone. 
The birds are accurately labelled with the English and Latin names ; they are 
securely packed in two boxes, ready to^be shipped through whatever channel you 
may please to indicate. 
I have the honor to be, very respectfally, your'most obedient servant, 
E. H. ABADIE, Assistant Surgeon , U. S. A. 
Thomas Lawson, M. D., 
Surgeon General U. S. A., Washington City , D. C. 
LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
Arranged in accordance with the nomenclature of C. L. Bonaparte. 
ORDER 1.— ACCIPITRES. 
Family Rapaces. 
2 Caracara Eagle, male and female, Polyborus braziliensis, Audubon. 
1 Great Footed Hawk, Falco peregrinus. 
1 American Sparrow Hawk, (male,) Falco sparverius. 
1 Pigeon Hawk, Falco columbarius. 
1 Broad-winged Hawk, (female,) Falco pennsylvanicus. 
1 Black Hawk, (female,) Falco niger, Sancti johannis. 
1 Winter Falcon, Falco hyemalis. 
1 Red-shouldered Hawk, (young, male of above,) Falco hyemalis. 
1 Marsh Hawk, (female,) Falco cyaneus. 
1 Slate colored Hawk, (female,) Falco velox. 
1 Mottled Owl, Strix asio. 
1 Great Horned Owl, Strix virginianus. 
1 Short Eared Owl, (female,) Strix brachyotos. 
1 Barred Owl, Strix nebulosa. 
1 White or Barn Owl, (female, )^Strix flammea. 
ORDER 2.— PASSERES. 
1 Carolina Parrot, Psittacus carolinensis. 
1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus. 
