500 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

TheCondor90:500-503 0 The CooperOrnithological Society 1988

SUGGESTIONS REGARDING ALCOHOLIC BIRD COLLECTIONS’

PETER F. CANNELL Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History, SmithsonianInstitution, Washington,DC 20560

MURRAY R. BAK~T Agricultural ResearchService-U.S.D.A., Avian PhysiologyLaboratory, Beltsville,MD 20705

CHERYL S. ASA~ The Population Council, New York, NY 10021, and The New York ZoologicalSociety, Bronx, NY 10460

Key words: Museology;collection management; fluid Our intent was to studygross anatomy and histology specimens;spirit specimens;alcoholic specimens; Jx- of the reproductivetract and to attempt to collectsperm ation; preservation. from testesand vasadeferentia for ultrastructuralstudy, but of the 13 specimensexamined not one was suitable for detailed study. Decomposition of the reproductive One third of the known speciesof birds are unrepre- tract and gonads had advanced such that, although sented in alcoholic collections and nearly 70% of the some gross tissue organization was recognizable,his- rest are representedby 10 or fewer speccmens(Wood tologicalanalysis was not possibleand no intact sperm et al. 1982, Zusi et al. 1982). Simply put, “existing were located. anatomical specimensdo not meet present and future The number of specimenswe examinedwas too small researchneeds and. . the situationmust be corrected” to considerthis an assessmentof alcoholic collections. (Jenkinsonand Wood 1985:587). Moreover, the reproductive tract is known to decom- Actually, current alcoholic specimen resourcesmay pose faster than many other internal systems(Bedford be even worse than indicated by Wood et al. (1982), 1975), exaggeratingany generalization of specimen despite commendable recent improvements. Here, we damage(although an intact reproductive system prob- argue the urgent need for additional alcoholic speci- ably guaranteesthat other systemshave also been use- mens, stressingin particular quality of fixation, the fully preserved).Nevertheless, with histologicalstudies importance of series,documentation of treatment his- particularly in mind, our negative findings reinforce a tory, and the role of object conservatorsin the biolog- concernabout the usefulnessof many current alcoholic ical museum environment. Biological collection man- specimens.Extensive experience by one ofus (Cannell) agement lags behind that of art, anthropological,and with another more robust internal system (the syrinx) historical collections. For the sake of a fundamental reinforces this view, particularly with regard to larger and irreplaceableornithological resource,we urge that specimens.It seems clear, at least, that the existence this gap be closed. of an alcoholic specimen of a speciesdoes not neces- sarily equate with the availability for study of that UTILITY OF CURRENT SPECIMENS species’ internal anatomy. Hence, the figuresindicated The limitations of existing alcoholic collections came in The World Inventory of Avian Spirit Specimens to our attention during a comparative examination of (Wood et al. 1982) must unfortunately be viewed with avian reproductive anatomy. We dissected 13 speci- caution. mens (representing13 speciesand sevenorders of birds) from the alcoholic collections of the American Mu- SPEED AND METHODS OF FIXATION seum of Natural History. These representedthe work Delay between death and fixation may be the most of a varietv of collectors and collection dates. They frequent cause of deteriorated tissue in existing alco- were preserved in isopropyl alcohol at the time of ex- holic specimens,as has been noted by Berger(1955: amination, but without specific testing we cannot be 300) and others. Burton (1978: 190) stated candidlv certain if they were originally fixed in formalin; typical that”fixation was often poor in many older specimens, of biological collections, no treatment documentation and I suspect many are simply a surplus which the exists. collector had no time to skin, and eventually crammed into an insufficient supply of spirit at the end of the day, after several hours decomposition and desicca- tion.” Raikow (1985: 114) also noted “the habit of col- I Received 3 August 1987. Final acceptance24 No- lectors making study skins of the good specimensand vember 1987. anatomical specimensof the rest.” To professionalcol- z Present address:Biology Dept., Winthrop College, lectors, the value of anatomy may have seemedarcane Rock Hill, SC 29733. relative to ornithology’s traditional focus on plumage. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS SO1

Besides,any decay was internal and invisible. It may fixative (see Cato 1986:26). Particular care should be have been unfortunately easy to delay alcoholic spec- given to larger specimens. imen preparationin the face of often-difficult field con- ditions. SERIES But, after death, lysozyme and macrophageactivities Generally, museumshave obtained seriesof skins and rapidly causedisruption of membranesand destruction skeletons(see Johnson et al. 1984, Zink and Remsen of tissues.This processis temperaturerelated and pro- 1986) but only “representative” alcoholic specimens ceeds quickly within a bird’s warm internal environ- (see Raikow 1985). This practice both reflectsand has ment. Fine structureof some systems,such as the re- influenced directions of anatomical research in orni- productive tract, begins to deteriorate within minutes thology. For example, the current lack of alcoholic after death, and postmortem delay of a few to several specimen series prohibits examination of geographic hours resultsin widespread damage. or intra- or interspecificvariation (seeM&trick 1985, A fixative halts the decay processby coagulatingcell Raikow 1985) while the preservation state of many contents into insoluble elements (Fink et al. 1978). specimensapparently inhibits comparative histologi- Quay (1974), Burton (1978), and others have dem- cal analysis. onstrated that detailed histological analysesare pos- Even for traditional studiesof representativespeci- sible on very old specimenswhose original fixation was mens, series are important. As with other collection fast and thorough. We strongly reinforce recommen- types, a specimenmay be of an inappropriate age, sex, dations that birds intended for alcoholic collectionsbe location, or seasonfor a particular study, or features fixed as soon as is possible after death. of interest may have been damaged during collection Virtually all avian fluid specimensare currently fixed or preparation. For alcoholic specimens,there is the in formalin (a 10% formaldehyde solution, Quay 1974) additionalpossibility (noted above) that structureshave but many early specimenswere fixed in other solutions deteriorateddue to delayed or inadequatefixation. Fi- (see Williams and Hawks 1987) or placed directly nally, structuresmay have been disrupted or removed into alcohol (a good preservative but a poor fixative, during previous dissections.Alcoholic collections are see Raikow 1985). Although it may be pertinent or unique among traditional preparation types in that ex- critical to a particular study, it is not easyfor research- amination usually damagesthe specimen. It is neces- ers to determine how or if a particular specimen has sary to have long seriesto ensurethat even a few rep- been fixed. It would be useful if museumscould iden- resentative specimensexist. tify, through archival or experimental methods, those Depletion of specimensthrough repeateddissection specimensfixed in solutionsother than formalin. is not currently a serious problem; anatomical study The advantagesof formalin, the standard museum has not been in ornithologicalvogue for many decades. fixative, have been discussed(e.g., Quay 1974, Fink et But research fashions do change; through time the al. 1978), as have possible advantagesof other fixa- number of anatomists and the sophistication of their tives, for example Bouin’s solution, Gilson’s solution, techniaues is likelv to increase.while the availabilitv acidifiedformalin, aceticacid-formalin-alcohol, or glu: of new and diverse specimen material seems certain taraldehyde. These other fixatives may have greater to decline due to restrictive laws, diminished bird pop- potency in coagulatingtissue proteins or in facilitating ulations, and rising costs. Eventually, depletion of al- staining by some histological dyes. Fink et al. (1978: coholicspecimen material may become one ofthe most 9) stated that: “other fixatives certainly have a role to significantproblems facing ornithologicalmuseum sci- play in modem ichthyologicalcollections.” The same entists. may be true for collections of birds. Preparation of We arguethat optimal field proceduresinclude pres- some specimensin alternative fixatives would increase ervation of tissuesand alcoholic specimens,especially research options, as long as these are suitably docu- for speciesrare in collections.Alcoholic specimenspre- mented. serve all the information of skins and skeletonsplus Methods of fixation also vary. Although Berger that of internal anatomy, stomachcontents, sperm, etc. (1955) Quay (1974), Raikow (1985) and others have (but see Fry 1985 for cautionsabout possibleabsolute recommendedperfusion of fixative into the bird’s car- plumagecolor change).Skins and skeletonscan always diovascular system, this procedure is rarely practiced be preparedlater if desirable,and under improved con- by field collectorsand its actual merits and practicality ditions. Even for common species,we suggestthat one remain unclear. Quay (1974:95) said that an experi- or two alcoholic specimensbe prepared for each skel- enced preparator could perfusea specimenwithin 3 to eton or skin. Of course, complete alcoholic body and 5 min. In the field, a longer period might be required; flat skin preparations can be made from individual performed hurriedly perfusion itself might causetissue specimens,similar to combination skin and skeleton damage,particularly to the circulatorysystem. The ac- preparationsurged by Johnsonet al. (1984). Together tual value of perfusioncould be assessedby histological with generalaugmentation of alcoholic collections,we study of specimenswith known treatments. If found urge that intermuseum usageguidelines and dissection to produce significantlybetter specimens,then perfu- request proceduresbe developed for all species cur- sion should be learned and employed by field collec- rently rare in alcoholic collections. tors. Otherwise, fixative should be injected into major muscles,body cavities, the brain, and the orbit as soon DOCUMENTATION OF TREATMENT as possible after death (and after tissue samples have HISTORY been removed for biochemical analysis), followed by Preparationand treatment histories of biological spec- detergentor alcohol wash and whole immersion in the imens are not normally documented. This savestime, 502 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS but at the cost of knowledge,severely limiting effective lections. We urge that this gap be bridged, specifically collection management. Without treatment histories, throughintroduction of specimentreatment documen- specific proceduresand substancescannot be associ- tation and consultationwith professionalconservators. ated with resulting specimens, and hence cannot be The need for avian anatomical material and for col- evaluated.Additionally, specificfixing, preserving,and lections support has been frequently expressed (e.g., management procedures (e.g., freezing, perfusion, Berger 1955, Raikow 1985, Nicholson 1986, Wilson transferbetween alcohol types, time between death and 1986, Zink and Remsen 1986). By stressingquality of fixation, kind and concentration of fixative, previous preparationand collectionmanagement procedures, we dissectionsperformed) may be of interest to some re- agreewith recommendationsof Johnsonet al. (1984), searchers.For example, exposure to alum, borax, or Jenkinsonand Wood (1985) and others who empha- other alkaline components common in early fixatives size maximum utility of individual specimens.As the may render specimens less useful for DNA analysis demand and sophistication of anatomists and histol- (Williams and Hawks 1987), while freezing renders ogists increase and as diverse specimen material be- specimensunsuitable for most histologicalor electron comes harder or impossible to procure, the quality of microscopestudy. existing collectionswill gain importance and come un- Conservatorsof art, historical, and anthropological der increasedscrutiny. The augmentation and care of collectionsroutinely document the technical history of ornithological collections will, in the long run, almost individual objects and have developed specific pro- certainly prove more valuable to ornithology than any ceduresfor doing so (see Craft and Jones 1981). Their current line of individual research. importance is emphasized in the section “Report of SydneyAnderson, Al Gardner, Kimball Garrett, Gary Treatment” in the American Institute for Conserva- Graves, Catharine Hawks, Marion Jenkinson,Carolyn tion’s Code of Ethics and Standardsof Practice (Am. Rose. Scott Wood. and Richard Zusi urovided useful Inst. Conservation 1979). We believe that introduction discussionand helpful comments on manuscriptdrafts; of similar standardized procedures, documenting all we are grateful to them. We thank George Barrow- aspectsof a specimen’s treatment history from collec- cloughfor accessto materialsat the American Museum tion on, would significantlyadvance biological collec- of Natural History. We also acknowledgethe Collec- tion methodology. tionsCommittee of the American OrnithologistsUnion’ CONSERVATORS IN BIOLOGICAL for the valuable contribution they have made in the COLLECTIONS Anatomical Inventory series. Biologicalcollection managementhas tended to follow tradition, lacking frequent critical assessment(see, for example, Cato 1985). Meanwhile, sophisticatedknowl- LITERATURE CITED edgeofmaterials and their effectshas developedwithin art, historical, and anthropologicalcollections. Object AM. INST.CONSERVATION. 1979. A.I.C. code of ethics conservation is a career in itself, and most large col- and standardsof practice, p. 10-23. In The A.I.C. lectionsin thosefields employ a professionalconserva- directory. Am. Inst. Conservation, Washington, tor. The study of conservation of biological materials DC. is in its infancy (see,for example, Williams and Hawks BEDFORD,J. M. 1975. Maturation, transport and fate 1987, for a useful initial survey), but much of the of spermatazoain the epididymis, p. -308-3 18. In current expertiseof art, historical, and anthropological R. 0. Green and E. B. Astwood leds.1.Handbook conservators may also apply to biological collection of physiology; Section 7: Endocrinology. Vol. V. management. The involvement of professional con- Male reproductive system. American Physiology servatorsin biological collection management,as gen- Society, Washington, DC. eral museum staff or consultants,is probably the most BERGER,A. J. 1955. Suggestionsregarding alcoholic important step(besides continued specimen collection) specimens and skeletons of birds. Auk 72:300- that natural history museums can take at this time to 303. safeguardthe quality of their collections in the long BURTON,P.J.K. 1978. Studieson functional anatomy run (see Hawks and Rose 1987). in birds utilizing museum specimens,p. 190-194. In R. Nijhring [ed.], Acta 17th Congr. Intern. Or- CONCLUSIONS nithol. Deutsche Omithologen-Gesellschaft,Ber- More than other taxonomic disciplines, ornithology is lin. pervaded by a significant anticollecting attitude. Of CATO,P. S. 1986. Guidelines for managingbird col- traditional preparation types, alcoholic collectionsare lections. Texas Tech Univ. Press., Lubbock. the most severely limited such that many current and CRAFT,M., AND S. JONES[EDS.]. 1981. Written doc- future researchoutions are prohibited. Here, we argue umentation. Am. Inst. Conservation, Philadel- the need to add-properly fixed alcoholic material to phia. omitholoeical collections. includina reuresentationof FINK. W. L.. K. E. HARTEL.W. G. SAUL.E. M. KOON. Y ” . additional taxa and increased numbers of specimens AND E.‘O. WILEY. 1978. A report on current per species. suppliesand practicesused in curation of ichthy- Specificprocedural recommendations are difficult to ological collections. Am. Sot. Ichthyologistsand make without greater knowledge of the effects of tra- Herpetologists,Washington, DC. ditional techniquesand materials. Biologicalcollection FRY, C. H. 1985. The effect of alcohol immersion on management compares unfavorably with procedures the plumage colours of bee-eaters. Bull. Br. Or- developed for art, historical, and anthropologicalcol- nithol. Club 105:78-79. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 503

HAWKS,C., ANDC. ROSE.[EDS.], 1987. A preliminary their rolesand future in biologicalresearch. British list of conservationresources for the careofnatural Columbia Provincial Museum. Occas. Paoer No. history collections.Society for the Preservationof 25. Natural History Collections,Nat. Mus. Nat. Hist., WILLIAMS,S. L., AND C. A. HAWKS. 1987. History Smithsonian Inst., Washington, DC. of preparationmaterials usedfor Recent mammal JENKINSON,M. A., AND D. S. WOOD. 1985. Avian specimens,p. 21-49. In H. Genoways, C. Jones, anatomical specimens:a geographicalanalysis of and 0. Rossolimo [eds.].Mammal collectionman- needs. Auk 102:587-599. agement. Texas Tech Univ. Press, Lubbock. JOHNSON,N. K., R. M. ZINK, G. F. BARROWCLO~GH, WILSON,E. 0. 1986. Time to revive systematics.Sci- AND J. A. MARTEN. 1984. Suggestedtechniques ence 230: 1227. for modem avian systematics.Wilson Bull. 96: WOOD,D. S., R. L. ZUSI,AND M. A. JENKINSON.1982. 543-560. World inventory of avian spirit specimens, 1982. MCKITRICK,M. C. 1985. Pelvic morphology of the American Ornithologists’ Union and Oklahoma kingbirdsand their allies (Aves: Tyrannidae). Ann. Biological Survey, Norman, OK. Carnegie Mus. 54:275-317. _ ZINK, R. M., AND J. V. REMSEN. 1986. Evolutionary NICHOLSON.T. D. 1986. Svstematicsand museums. processesand patterns of geographicvariation in Science23 1:442. . birds, p. l-69. In R. F. Johnston [ed.], Current QUAY, W. B. 1974. Bird and mammal specimensin ornithology. Vol. 4. Plenum Press, New York. fluid-objectives and methods.Curator 17:9l-104. ZUSI, R. L., D. S. WOOD, AND M. S. JENKINSON.1982. RAIKOW,R. J. 1985. Museum collections, compar- Remarks on a world-wide inventory of avian an- ative anatomy and the study of phylogeny,p. 113- atomical specimens.Auk 99:740-757. 121. In E. H. Miller [ed.], Museum collections:

TheCondor90:503-505 0 The Cooper Ornithological Society 1988

SCRUB JAY PREDATION ON STARLINGS AND SWALLOWS: ATTACK AND INTERSPECIFIC DEFENSE’

PAUL R. EHRLICHAND JOHN F. MCLAUGHLIN Department of BiologicalSciences, Stanford University,Stanford, CA 94305

Key words: Aphelocoma coerulescens;Cl$Swal- its bill, the jay repeatedly pecked vigorously at the low: EuropeanStarling; interspeciJicdefense;predation;starling ’s head and shoulderswith its bill. The sequence Scrub Jay. was interrupted by the intervention of an adult starling which chasedthe jay away from the juvenile, but the jay then returned and pursued the flying juvenile, Jays are known to be important predators of both the catchingit twice, pinning it as before, and hammering eggsand nestlingsof other birds, but attackson adults at it until the adult starlingintervened each time. Groups or juveniles capable of competent flight are rarely re- of students interrupted the attack and all three birds ported. On the campus of Stanford University, Santa disappeared.The entire sequenceprobably took less Clara County, California, a Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma than 1 min. coerulescens)was observed repeatedly attacking a ju- In a location about 50 m away on 8 May 1987 a venile EuropeanStarling (Sturnusvulgaris). When first second predatory interaction was observed. The be- observed, at 09:OOon 4 May 1987, the starling ap- havior of the jay and the juvenile starling was similar; peared disoriented. It flew at a height ofabout 1 m into the starling’s flight seemed clumsy, but it was impos- the side of a building, dropped to the ground, but re- sible to determine whether this was becauseof its in- mained active. The pursuingjay immediately cornered experienceor a result ofinjury. In this casetwo or three the starling and pinned it to the ground with its feet. Brown Towhees (Pipilo fuscus) intervened and tem- While leaning away from the starling to avoid jabs of porarily drove off the jay. It returned to resume the attack,however, until an adult starlingflew down from an adjacent live oak tree (Quercusagrifolia) and at- I Received 17 August 1987. Final acceptance4 De- tackedthe jay. The juvenile weakly flew severalmeters cember 1987. and was again pinned by the jay. The adult starling