26 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 86 



organization, as we expected, these reports seemed to infuse 

 it with such life that the Avriter of this sketch was encouraged 

 to plan for the publication of a modest official organ to be 

 known as The Wilson Bulletin, with a bi-monthly appear- 

 ance. AcCordingl}^ the publication was begun in January, 

 1896, as a twelve-page magazine with a printed page of 

 5xdy2, brevier type. This publication continued through 

 1899, with regularly recurring deficits which the editor met 

 for the good of the cause, with some occasional assistance 

 from ]\Ir. Burns and others. 



During the several years preceding 1900 Mr. Burns had 

 been working on an exhaustive study of the Flicker, and the 

 editor upon a study of the songs of the warblers. Both of 

 these papers were ready for print by the beginning of 1900, 

 and plans were made for putting them into print. The 

 deficits were becoming so onerous that it was decided to issue 

 these two reports as a grand finale and disband the organiza- 

 tion. But history repeated itself and it was found that a 

 continuance of the publication was demanded by the member- 

 ship. The editor was not able to spare the time necessary 

 for the preparation of a bi-monthly, so it was decided to 

 increase the size of the printed page and increase the num- 

 ber of pages in order to make a quarterly magazine of rea- 

 sonable size. Volume 12, 1900, thus became the first of the 

 enlarged volumes, as at present. 



An unusual stress of work during 1901 precluded the possi- 

 bility of the present writer carrying the Bulletin during that 

 year, so Mr. Frank L. Burns, of Berwyn, Penn., edited and 

 published that volume. Beginning with the year 1902 the 

 writer has both edited and published the Bulletin. It has 

 been too hard a task. For the lifting of the burden of pub- 

 lishing fro]n his shoulders he is indeed grateful, and pre- 

 dicts a future full of great achievements for the Club which 

 the change of policy will make certain. The help which has 

 been given, both financial and of other but not less real sorts, 

 he is certain not to forget. 



The thought that inspired the original founders of the 

 organization had its roots in mutual helpfulness among the 



