proceedings: bioi^ogical society 419 



mens had died in a very immature state. The snake had been identified 

 as Matrix sipedon. In this connection E. W. Nelson referred to a 

 double-headed snake observed by him. 



The regular program consisted of two communications: 

 A. Wetmore: Notes on the brown pelican. The speaker gave an 

 account of the life and habits of this bird as observed by him on Pelican 

 Island, Florida, in the early part of the present year. His remarks were 

 illustrated by numerous lantern slides. Discussion by E. W. Nelson, 

 R. W. Shufeldt, a. S. Hitchcock, L. O. Howard, and I.N. Hoffman. 

 Vernon Bailey: The explorations of Maximilian, Prince of Wied, 

 on the Upper Missouri in 18 jj. The speaker described the travels of 

 this early naturalist and many of the animals encountered by him. 

 His remarks were illustrated by lantern-slide views of many of these 

 animals and by motion-picture views of many of the larger mammals 

 of the Upper Missouri region. Discussion by R. W. ShuFELDT. 



The 596th regular meeting of the Society was held in the Assembly 

 Hall of the Cosmos Club, Saturday, April 19, 1919; called to order at 8 

 p.m. by Vice-President Hollister; 43 persons were present. 



On recommendation of the Council H. H. Lane, of Norman, Okla- 

 homa, was elected to active membership. 



Under the heading, "Book notices, brief notes, exhibition of speci- 

 mens, etc.," the following informal communications were presented: 



W. P. Taylor : A brief account of the organization of the American 

 Society of Mammalogists on April 3 and 4, 191 9. 



T. S. Palmer: Remarks on ornithological activities in Germany 

 during the war as revealed by a recently received ornithological journal 

 published in that country for 191 8. Ornithologists appeared to have 

 been active in Germany in spite of the war but their fields of research 

 were necessarily limited through lack of communication with the outside 

 world, but bird problems in Germany, migration records in Germany, 

 including rather complete migration records at Heligoland, and bibli- 

 ographic matters, especially of African birds, received rather marked 

 attention. 



A. S. Hitchcock: Remarks on the organization of the National 

 Research Council as pertaining to biology. 



The regular program was as follows: 



Walter P. Taylor: Notes on Dr. J. G. Cooper's scientific investiga- 

 tions on the Pacific Coast. Dr. James Graham Cooper was one of the 

 most active students of birds and mammals on the Pacific Coast in the 

 middle nineteenth century. Bom in New York June 19, 1830, he early 

 became interested in the West through his connection with the Stevens 

 Survey of the Pacific Railroad Route along the 47th and 49th parallels. 

 He was most active as a field coUecter between the years 1853 and 1866, 

 during which period he worked for more than two years in Washington 

 Territory and collected widely in CaUfornia. He collected types or 



