1 26 Australasian Ornithologists' Union. ist lan 



In the evening a conversazione was held at the Natural History 

 Museum, the spacious entrance hall of which was handsomely 

 decorated with flowers and palms. Members were received by Dr. 

 Sharpe and Miss Sharpe. A very enjoyable time was spent chatting 

 and wandering round amongst the collections. 



On the morning of the 14th some 200 members went by train to 

 Tring, at the invitation of the Hon. Walter Rothschild. We were 

 met at the station and driven to the magnificent Museum, and had 

 an all too short look round. From there we went to the Village 

 Hall, where Mr. Rothschild lectured on " Extinct Birds," and 

 exhibited a fine collection of extinct and vanishing species. After- 

 wards a move was made to the Home Farm, where a sumptuous 

 lunch was provided. After being photographed, we split into 

 three parties — one to go to the Reservoir, another to look round the 

 grounds, and a third to spend the afternoon at the Museum. I 

 went with the Reservoir party, and had an enjoyable time watching 

 the various species of land birds and waterfowl. Some 17 species 

 were identified, and the nests of three containing eggs found ; also 

 the young of several species were seen swimming with their parents. 

 After tea at the Farm, the return journey was commenced, Euston 

 Station being reached shortly after 8 p.m. 



The next morning (15th) was a very busy time, more papers being 

 set down than it was possible to get through. Consequently the 

 balance had to be taken on Saturday. Those considered were by 

 Dr. Louis Bureau, " Presentation d'un Atlas des Planches Coloriees 

 de Brisson Attribue au Peintre Martinet " ; by Mr. J. Lewis Bonhote, 

 " Notes on Some Experiments in Hybridizing Ducks " ; by Dr. 

 Paul Leverkiihn, " Les Correspondances Ornithologiques du Pro- 

 fessor Fred Naumann " ; and by Dr. E. Hartert, " The Principal 

 Aims of Modern Ornithology." 



In the afternoon a reception was held at the Mansion House, 

 where members were received by the Lord Mayor and Lady 

 Mayoress. 



In the evening a dinner was given by the British Ornithologists' 

 Union to foreign members of the Congress, at the Frascati 

 Restaurant. 



Saturday morning (15th) was uncomfortably crowded with 

 business. Section I. took : — Graf Hans von Berlepsch, " Fin 

 letztes Wort liber die sogenannte ' RitticiUa cairii ' " ; Dr. Louis 

 Bureau, " La Perdrix Grise des Pyrenees {Perdix perdix charrela) " ; 

 and Mr. J. Dwight, " The Significance of Sequence in Moults and 

 Plumage." Section II. took: — Mr. J. H. Fleming, "The Unusual 

 Migration of Briinnich's Murre in Eastern North America," and Dr. 

 F. Helm, " Neuere Beobachtungen iiber den Herbstzug des Staares 

 in Deutschland." In Section IV. the following papers were taken : 

 — Herr Otto Herman, "Reports on Investigation of the Food of 

 Birds Since 1900" ; Herr Igali Svetozar, "The Usefulness of and 

 the Harm by the Sparrow to Agriculturists " ; and M. Paul Martin, 

 " La Grosseur des Grelaux Dangereux pour les Oiseaux." In Section 

 V. (Aviculture), which should have met on Friday, Mr. D. Seth- 



