May, 1903.] Meeting of the Wheat on Club. 437 



MEETING OF THE WHEATON CLUB. 



The Club met in Biological Hall, Monday evening, April the 

 twentieth. After the reading of the minutes there was a short 

 business session in which, among other matters, the Club resolved 

 to make eiTorts toward the better protection of birds in the 

 University grounds. After the business session the Club spent 

 most of the evening in a general discussion of the causes, routes 

 and general phenomena of bird migration. Prof. Smith opened 

 the discussion by a review of the articles publi.shed several years 

 ajjo by Prof. W. W. Cooke upon " Bird Migrations in the Missis- 

 sippi Valley." The investigations upon which this was based, 

 could not, by reason of the ph3'sical features of the region studied, 

 afford much light on the question of the existence or non-exist- 

 ence of particular bird routes. At this point Prof. Smith took 

 occasion to state the conflicting theories upon this subject which 

 are held b}^ European ornithologists, some holding that birds 

 migrate along special paths and others that they pass in a broad 

 mare. The point covered to a fuller degree in the article reviewed 

 was as to the effects of mind and temperature particularly the 

 latter, upon migration flights and the author of the article 

 seemed to consider the effect of temperature the more important. 

 An article in the Aiiiericaii Naturalist iox Se^iemher , 1902, upon 

 "Bird Migrations" by Dr. C. C. Trowbridge was then briefly 

 reviewed by Mr. Derby. This article which based its conclusions 

 upon the observations of hawk migrations upheld the influence 

 of wind in migration as opposed to temperature. Mr. Mead then 

 presented a paper upon "The Great Auk." He first described 

 the distribution of the bird and commented upon the fact that it 

 occupied formally in the North Polar regions the position held by 

 the Penguin in the South. He next took up the appearance and 

 habits of the birds, speaking of its awkward movements, habit 

 of flocking in great numbers, the fact that only a single ^^g was 

 laid and other interesting details. He then described graphically 

 the former abundance of the Auks and their wholesale destruction 

 for the sake of the eggs, flesh and feathers by the sailors. The 

 last live birds found were captured in 1844. In closing mention 

 was made of the specimens in existence and of the value assigned 

 to them. Prof. Hine called the attention of the Club to two 

 records, made some years ago, of birds very rare in the state, the 

 Red-cockaded Woodpecker and the Red-tailed Black Hawk, both 

 taken in this region. In the line of personal observations Mr. 

 Dawson reported several early records, among which were Hermit 

 Thrush, March 15 ; Barn Swallows, April 4, and Bobolink and 

 Chimney Swift, April 12. 



Walter J. Derby, Secretary. 



