No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF ACRH ni l/P r KK. 227 



REPORT OF THE ORNITHOI.OGIST. 



By I'HOF. J}. A. Surface, State Cotletie, Pa. 



It appears to us that tliis report should be based upon two <2:eiieral 

 features, one dealinj; with the personal work of the committee, and 

 the other treating, at least briefly, of the general progress of Orni- 

 thology during the past year. This shall, therefore, be the method 

 of treatment. 



JFtrst, Personal Woj'k of the Committee — This has necessarily 

 been either in disseminating knowledge or obtaining it. The meth- 

 ods of the former have been by (a) private correspondence, (b) by 

 writing articles for publication, and (c) by speaking or delivering 

 public lectures. We ask to be permitted to discuss each in turn. 



(a.) Private Correspondence. — During the past year our corres- 

 pondence upon subjects in ornithology has not been nearly as vol- 

 uminous as in certain other scientific subjects — especially ento- 

 mology, but it has been enough to indicate a general ^'hungering and 

 thirsting" after this knowledge on the part of our citizens, especially 

 teachers. It is one of the encouraging "signs of the times" that 

 teachers in public schools — from the country, the graded and the 

 high schools — are commencing to take such an interest in Nature 

 Studies that they realize the deficiency of their own knowledge 

 (which is the first essential in obtaining more), and are appealing 

 to those persons who should be considered as experts in their 

 several fields for the treasures of truth that may be obtained from 

 the larger storehouses. Since the appointment of this committee 

 a year ago, it has been called upon to answer eleven letters, or 

 about one per month, upon subjects pertaining to ornithology. 



(b.) Writing for Publication. — We have written several general 

 articles on birds, mostly of an economic value; but our most fruitful 

 method of reaching the public has been by a series of press circu- 

 lars sent to every newspaper and other periodical publication in this 

 State, and to some of the agricultural publications issued in adjoin- 

 ing states. These have been widely reprinted and circulated, and we 

 trust that they have proven useful. We should say that they were 

 made possible, financially, by the co-operation of the authorities 

 of The Pennsylvania State College. In the second of these press 

 circulars we discussed "The Economic Value and Protection of Our 



