NOTES FROM THE MUSEUM 



At the meeting of the Natural History Society on May 7, 

 the following officers were elected: President, Mrs. Paul M. 

 Rea; Vice-President, Miss Annie Sloan; Secretary, Mr. Henry 

 Dotterer; Treasurer, Mr. Herbert R. Sass. The past year 

 has been a most successful- one for the Society. Its mem- 

 bership has increased considerably, it has accomplished more 

 notable results, and its prospects for the future are brighter 

 than ever before. The last regular meeting of the Spring 

 was held May 21, and was devoted to a review of the breed- 

 ing records made by the Society, and to plans for summer 

 work. Formal meetings will not be resumed until October 

 but members will meet informally on the first and third 

 Thursdays of each month for discussions of work. 



An interesting recent occurrence was the capture on April 

 9th of a Least Bittern (Ardetta exilis) in Mr. Prioleau 

 Ravenel's garden on Tradd Street. This bird is a common 

 summer resident of the marshes about Charleston, but its 

 presence in the city, where it has been observed only once 

 before, is indeed remarkable. Three individuals were seen 

 in Mr. Ravenel's garden but unfortunately the captor of the 

 specimen referred to above was a cat and not a human be- 

 ing, so that only a few fragments could be preserved. 



The collection of living reptiles is increasing, through 

 the generosity of a friend of the Museum. The snakes now 

 in the collection include at least twelve distinct species, rang- 

 ing from the deadly "Diamond-back" to the slender, harm- 

 less Garter snake. The lizards are represented by the so- 

 called ''glass snake" and by three specimens of the Gila 

 monster, the only poisonous lizard in the country. These in- 

 teresting animals will be placed on exhibition after the open- 

 ing of the new building. 



The Director, Prof. Rea, attended the third annual meeting 

 of the American Association of Museums in Chicago, May 



49 



