Bulletin No. 24. 

 FLICKER INVESTIGATION. 



I take pleasure in announcing through the Bulletin to the sixty 

 ornithologists who have assisted me in the preparation of the Flicker 

 Report, and to others who may be interested, that a definite time has 

 been decided upon for its completion and publication. It will contain 

 notes on the Scientific and Vernacular Synonyms, Geographical Distribu- 

 tion, Relative Abundance, Plumage, Hybridism, Albinism, Vernal Mi- 

 gration, Flight, Roosting, Song, Mating, Location, Position, Excavation, 

 Composition and Dimension of Nest, Deposition, Measurements, Color 

 and Shape of Eggs, Number of Eggs in Set, Season's Quota, Dates for 

 Complete Sets, Incubation, Young in and out of Nest, Moulting, Food, 

 Autumnal Migration, Destructive Agencies and Conclusions. It will be 

 ready for the printer sometime in December of the present year. In the 

 meantime I need migration notes for 'g5-'99, measurements of eggs with 

 complete data, notes on incubation, young, and moulting. 



I would be pleased to hear from and correspond with all who are willing 

 to help me in this or anything else relating to the Flicker. Do not delay 

 but write before it passes out of your mind. 



Frank L. Burns, Berzvyii, Pa. 



PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF WORK FOR THE 

 COMMITTEE ON VARIATION. 



Now that winter is here and field work demands little attention, some 

 time can be very profitably spent in getting acquainted with the material 

 in our collections, which is generally apt to lie idle. 



We have our specimens labelled and classified, but what does it all 

 mean ? Why have birds been grouped as they are and why is it that we 

 are able to classify birds in such orderly fashion ? The earlier ornithol- 

 ogists recognized in the resemblances and differences in the birds they 

 found a natural arrangement in groups, but this work was simply to start 

 out and make pigeon holes for the different forms ; and most of us in our 

 systematic work are simply finding these pigeon holes for our specimens. 



With the development of the great theory of evolution the secrets 

 back of all these conditions began to come forth. Species were now 

 seen to have come from common ancestors and it was realized that thev 



