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Suggestions Regarding Alcoholic Bird Collections, Peter F. Cannell, Murray R. Bakst, Cheryl S. Asa

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

One third of the known species of birds are unrepresented in alcoholic collections and nearly 70% of the rest are represented by 10 or fewer specimens (Wood et al. 1982, Zusi et al. 1982). Simply put, "existing anatomical specimens do not meet present and future research needs and . .. the situation must be corrected" (Jenkinson and Wood 1985:587). Actually, current alcoholic specimen resources may be even worse than indicated by Wood et al. (1982), despite commendable recent improvements. Here, we argue the urgent need for additional alcoholic specimens, stressing in particular quality of fixation, the importance of series, documentation …