44 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Full particulars of how to apply for membership will be found on the 

 second pa^i^e of the cover. Applications for membership should be 

 made to Mr. Swain, and subscriptions should be sent to Mr. Brown- 

 son. 



This society has fully a hundred members in different parts of 

 the State, all of whom are observing birds, more or less. Many 

 notes have been received of last winter's observations, and more 

 should have come in for the present number about the spring migra- 

 tion, but hardly one was received. The Journal would be much 

 more interesting if every member would send in his or her experience 

 during the coming summer. In place of six or eight correspondents 

 we ought to have fifty. If that number of reports should be received, 

 room w^ould be readily found for them in the Journal. 



The committee appointed at the last annual meeting to consider 

 financing the publication of Knight's revised edition of the "Birds of 

 Maine" has decided unanimously that it is impracticable to assume 

 this burden. Mr. Knight acquiesces cheerfully in the decision and 

 will now consider publishing, on his own account, a book of double 

 the size first intended, within the next two years. This ought to 

 furnish much additional and valuable information about the birds of 

 this section. There can be no doubt that it will have a large sale, 

 and that it will be thoroughly appreciated by bird students, not only 

 in Maine, but in other States. 



The progress of bird study in Maine during the past two years 

 has been great. Everywhere there has been an awakened interest 

 in ornithology, and there are now ten times as many bird students 

 as formerl}^ Every progressive school in Maine is giving more or 

 less time to this In-anch of nature work. In Portland, the city has 

 so much appreciated the aid that the Natural History Society is giv- 

 ing the teachers and pupils, that a generous appropriation has been 

 made for the support of the society. Recently the Natural History 

 Society had a field day at Cape Elizabeth. The bird party numbered 

 nineteen enthusiastic observers. The result of their observations 

 in the forenoon was the finding of thirty-eight species of birds. 



