THE OOLOGIST. 



19a 



Ornithologists' Association. 



SECKETAKY'S KEl'OUT. 



Tiie Ornithologist's Association met 

 i>ept. 15th at Washington, D. C, and 

 the following persons were proposed 

 for memljershij) in the Association: 



Active.— A. Lake, 1337 U St. N. W., 

 \Vashington, D. C. 



Corresponding. — Frank H. Shoemak- 

 er, Hampton, Iowa; Bert H. Bailey, 

 402 A. Ave., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. 

 ■A. G. Prill, Springville, Erie Co., N. Y. 

 J. Alden Loring, Owego, Tioga Co. N. 

 Y. Richard D. Lusk, Tombstone, Coch- 

 ise Co., Arizona. 



As no objections were made they will 

 be admitted to full membershij) on paj'- 

 ment of dues. 



I quote from the By Laws, "The dues 

 •of all active members shall be one dol- 

 lar, and of all corresponding members 

 lift}- conts, per annum, payable semi- 

 annually in advance." 



BAKLAN'S BUZZARD AND THE KED-TAIL- 



Some time ago the question as to the 

 tlifferentiating points between these 

 two species was raised in the Oolooi.st 

 ■and there was a reference to my book, 

 "Our Birds in Their Haunt," in which 

 I quote C. J. Mayuard on said points. 

 That quotation makes the four outer 

 primaries "incised on the inner webs," 

 a main point of ditference. This diag- 

 nosis is at fault, and shows how we may 

 err in quoting others without independ- 

 ent I'eflection and examination (»n our 

 own part. It is strange that Mr.Maynard 

 should not have known that all the 

 lititios have tiie inner wcIjs of the four 

 outer primaries incised. 



Nor can anything delinite lu-allirmed 

 as to dilTerence in the size of the two 

 species; for the extreme measurements 

 of hdrlani may be Paid 1o be included 

 i 1 the extreme measurcmonts of horc- 

 ■nli.t. 



U'hat then is tlie differenceV Simply 



tlie color. In structure they are ideu« 

 tical. This difference in color is for tha 

 most part in the tail. The clear chest- 

 nut red of tlie tail of the mature borealis 

 the regular dusky subterminal band, 

 and the regular crossbands of light and 

 dark dusky in immature birds of the 

 species, are in marked contrast to the 

 streakeil and clouded tail of harlani, in 

 which sti'eaks of red are but occasion- 

 ally seen, and white or whitish soon 

 becomes the prevailing characteristic. 



Another point of ditfereuce is to be 

 found in the absence in harlani of the 

 ocherous or reddish shades so common 

 in borealis, especially about the head 

 and neck. The dusky or black so dom- 

 inent in harlani, giving it a blackish 

 general effect, is however, only on 

 the tips of the plumage, the inner parts 

 being white. This white becomes ag- 

 gressive with age; and, as the under 

 parts tend to l)e pure white, the species 

 linally becomes decidedly hoary. 



Allow me to note here, that Mr. 

 Ridgeway regards one specimen from 

 Iowa as intermediate; and hence be- 

 lieves harlani to be simply a geographi- 

 cal variety or race. 



Harlan's Buzzard is a Southern var- 

 iety, inhabiting the Gulf States and 

 Lower Mississippi Valley, sometimes 

 straggling to Pennsylvania, Illinois and 

 Iowa. 



EGGS OK THE BROAD- WINGED HAWK. 



A query was raised in the 0(^logist 

 sometime ago, as to the size of the eggs 

 of the Broad-winged Hawk. There is a 

 very small series in the Nati<iiial Mus- 

 eum. The average nuiasuienicnt is 

 l.".t3xl.56. 



Please notice that this article is the 

 sul)stance of a discussion in the Ornith- 

 ologists A.s.sociation, which is ikjw fairly, 

 on its feet and in working order. 



J. H. Langim.e. 



Mr. K. J. Brown during a tri)) to 

 Coblis Island, Va. the past summer 



