306 
Mr. O. Salvin's Visit to the 
several visits to the American Museum of Natural History- 
in New York; and I spent an afternoon at Vassar College, a 
day at Philadelphia, half a day each with Dr. S. Cabot in 
Boston and Dr. T. K. Merritt in Flushing, several days in 
the Museum of the Boston Society of Natural History, and a 
morning at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard 
College. Everywhere I was treated with the utmost kind¬ 
ness and courtesy, and the freest access was given me to all 
the specimens I wished to examine. 
The Collection of the Smithsonian Institution. 
The extent of the ornithological collection (unique of its 
kind) in this museum is well known. At present the arrange¬ 
ment is in a transition state, and the specimens are scattered 
and cramped for room. When ultimately put in order, with 
space enough for its display, this collection will stand quite 
alone as illustrating the ornis of the North American continent. 
Central America is also largely represented; and the museum 
contains many valuable collections from South America. 
In addition to these the mounted series includes the birds col¬ 
lected during Capt. Wilkes's and Capt. Gilliss's Exploring Ex¬ 
peditions, the types of the species described by Peale andCassin. 
My interest, however, was concentrated upon the Central 
and South American skins, and in an examination of the types 
of the species described by Prof. Baird and Mr. Lawrence 
during the last ten or twelve years. In my search I had the 
advantage of Prof. Baird's and Mr. Bidgway's most cordial 
assistance. Dr. Elliott Coues, too, helped me.much, espe¬ 
cially with reference to many North American species, little 
known or unknown to me. 
The following notes only include a portion of those I 
made, but relate to species about which I can write with 
confidence 
Dendrceca capitalis, Lawr. Proc. Ac. Phil. 1868, p. 359. 
Barbadoes. This species is almost as widely separated 
from the closely allied forms of D. petechia as is the conti¬ 
nental D. vieilloti .. The rufous of the crown is very distinctly 
