Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-12

The National Museum possesses one OF
the finest collections of birds in the
world 1t has representatives OF more
than two-thirds of the $4,000 or more
known species. The fact that approx
mately one-third of the known species
are missing does not argue against the
completeness of the collection, since only.
two families of birds are missing. These
are the Kagu family Of New Caledonia
and the Mesoenas of Madagascar. Every
other family in the bird world has a rep
resentative in the magnificent new build
ing in Washington, which contains the
natural history collections of the govern
ment. The total number of birds in the
museums collection approXlmates 2OO,-
OOO.
Except for the comparatively few which
are put on exhibition, the specimens are
kept in dark cases, arranged on the gen
eral principle of modern caEd-lhdeA
system In preparing a specimen for
preservation, the skin is carefully remov-
ed and treated with arsenic and Alum
1t is then stuffed with cotton. Inc HesH
is removed from the skeleton and 1t Is
put away in like. manner. The specimens
are then referred to by ornlthologlsts Tor
the purpose OF identifying species or
gathering other information concerning
the birds
species of birds are identified each year.
Many of the descriptions are found later
to be repetitions. For instance one man
may describe bird whose plumage Is
fresh, and another one whose plumage Is
rusty from much exposure to the wealth
err. Another may describe bird whose
plumage is immature and another one
whose plumage has reached it's maturity.
This often results in duplications which
are not checked up until some other nat
| uralist comes along and discovers the
duplication.
The case of the ordinary orchard oriole
| is one in point. The plumage Of the male
of this spe-
0riole Develops cies does
When Three Years Old. it's matur.
! ity until the bird is about three years
old. 1t was many years before all dupli-
cations in the description of this bird
were eliminated. While new species of
birds are being found on every one of the
continents, the major portion of them
come from South America Africa and
| the East Indies. There are between three
and four thousand species of BIRDS in
North America and the West Indies.
| One of the problems confronting the
scientist who deals with bird life Is to
| find the missing links which are to af-
| ford conclusive proof that the birds are
descendants Of reptiles. In the persistent
effort of the scientific world to learn the
secrets of creation. much study has been
given to the questions of comparative
anatomy and related species. Just now
science is hoping that somewhere In the
world a stone may be turned which will
complete the story of the descent of the
bird from the reptile creation.
That story already has been partly told
n many ways. The most striking con-
firmation of the theory was found In 1851
n Bavaria, when there was discovered
he impression Of a single feather in
;ome red sandstone. The existence OF a
bird so early in the history Of creation,
going back millions of years. was doubted
| II first. But a year or two later q sec
md specimen, showing much of the skele-
on, was obtained and is now in the Brit
sh Museum. In 1877 another was found
md Is in the Berlin Museum.
These two specimens are different