JOURNAL OF MAINB ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 3 1 



In the spring of 1897 the hopes and ambitions of the members 

 of the society were realized in the publication of "The Birds of 

 Maine," under the able editorship of Ora W. Knight, of Bangor, the 

 list having been prepared under the auspices of the society. Such 

 was the demand for this careful and concise work that the supply 

 was soon exhausted. 



One of the best and most enthusiastic meetings the society ever 

 held was its second annual meeting, held in the rooms of the Port- 

 land Society of Natural History, in Portland, Dec. 31, 1897, and 

 Jan. I, 1898. All the officers were present and a goodly number of 

 members. Twenty-nine new members were elected and several valu- 

 able scientific papers were read, among them one of especial interest, 

 "How I Became an Ornithologist," by Hon. George A. Boardman, 

 of Calais, the pioneer naturalist of the St. Croix Valley. These 

 papers were placed in the hands of Editor Mead, for publication in 

 the official organ. The Maine Sportsman . Messrs. Lane, Hitchings 

 and Knight were appointed a committee to consider a new and ap- 

 propriate name for the society and to report at the next meeting. 

 The society, too, voted to make a special study of a family of birds, 

 by each member, and make reports at each annual meeting. 



At the third annual meeting, held in Waterville,. it was voted 

 to change the name of the society to "The Maine Ornithological 

 Society." A proposition made by Mr. Knight to publish the pro- 

 ceedings of the society separately was accepted, and Clarence H, 

 Morrell, of Pittsfield, was elected editor, with Mr. Knight as pub- 

 lisher. It was voted to call the new publication, "The Journal of 

 the Maine Ornithological Society." To Mr. Powers belongs the 

 honor of suggesting the name of the society, and to James Carroll 

 Mead, for the name adopted for "The Journal." 



The first number of the Journal appeared as a quarterly, in 

 January, 1899, and the three following numbers, with an average of 

 ten pages, were well filled with material of much interest to students 

 of Maine birds. Owing to Mr. Morrell's ill health, he declined to 

 serve as editor of Vol. II, and at the fourth annual meeting, held in 

 Brunswick, Mr. J. Merton Swain, of Portland, was elected to sue- 



