Doug, there are several natural history museums that might want more
info, e.g. is there more data than just the species name (collecting
date/site, etc.)? Is there a catalogue or list? Were the specimens
assigned collections numbers?

Without data at that level it's doubtful that these could be added to a
research collection. They could, however, be of historical interest for a
couple of reasons: (1) the connection with a local family, and/or (2) an
exemplar of a now-vanished type of collection that was once very popular
as an amateur activity. Egg collections are Victorian holdovers that are
no longer legal to make (another reason for not tossing the specimens
even if their info is not up to research standards), so there is a good
argument for taking them as part of a historic collection.

We see this kind of thing all the time in natural history museums. There
are many collections that were made at a time when collecting natural
history materials (eggs, birds' nests, butterflies, ferns, shells) was
both more socially acceptable and less regulated than it is now. The
Association of Systematics Collections and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service have a Memorandum of Unuderstanding which will protect everyone
when a donor (who must not be under litigation or prosecution) donates a
biological collection with missing or questionable information to a museum
that meets the MOU standards. This was discussed at the Federal and
international scientific permits workshop held here last week.

So the problem is not that taking old collections might lead to
prosecution (a fear in the past). It's that specimens with missing info
will never be research specimens, and natural history museums have enough
to do to carry out their immediate mandates. I don't think, however, that
we should be so myopic when it comes to the historic value of some of
these collections, whether that be community history or history of
science. Perhaps there is room for negotiating with local history museums
and societies for joint care.

Good luck.

Sally Shelton
Director, Collections Care and Conservation
President-Elect, Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections



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|                 San Diego Natural History Museum                      |
|                          P. O. Box 1390                               |
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On Wed, 5 Feb 1997, Doug Jordan wrote:

> We were approached by someone handling the following estate liquidation;
> hopefully this is not inapproiate for this list.
>
> They are looking for a home for a collection of birds eggs and nests,
> The collection was assembled during the turn of the century thru the
> 1920's..There are hundreds, most with the scientific name, filed in foam
> eggs holders.
>
> I tried contacting local museums - yet they dont fit any mission
> statements of local interests; and to settle the estate they need to be
> sold.. I would hate to see them just tossed in the trash !
>
> Can someone direct me to an approiate institution ?
>
> please Reply off list ... thanks
>
> Doug Jordan
>