Bulletin N'o. 2[. 57 



EDITORIAL. 



Our fellow member, John W. Daniel, Jr., as ist lieutenant, 3rd 

 Brigade, Rosser's Staff, in company with Dr. Edgar Mearns, is on his 

 way, with the army, to Puerto Rico, where he will have opportunity to 

 study the avifauna of our new island possession. 



Again the heated term, coupled with the unusual interest in our war 

 with Spain, has contributed to a dearth of copy for this issue. The 

 editor pleads guilty to negligence in soliciting copy early in July, in the 

 hope that solicitation would be unnecessary. But members should not 

 wait to be asked to contribute short notes of interest ; that is as much a 

 part of the duty of membership as working for the committees. This 

 number is both late and four pages short. Do not let this occur again. 



Our Constitution provides that nominations for officers for the ensuing 

 year must be made in September. As heretofore the September issue 

 will be delayed a few days in order to announce the list of nominees. 

 There should be no nominations for the office of Vice-President, since 

 the person receiving the second highest number of votes for President 

 is declared Vice-President. The list of nominations should be forwarded 

 to President R. M. Strong, North Greenfield. Wis. Will not every 

 member send in a list of nominations? By so doing your interest in the 

 organization will be increased, and your zeal for study of the birds will 

 receive a greater impetus. 



Have we ever stopped to consider the real reason for the existence of 

 our Chapter ? What is its mission in the field of scientific investigation, 

 and is it fulfilling that mission ? Our Constitution declares that the 

 object of the Chapter is the systematic study of Ornithology and Oology, 

 and the publication of the results. But to furnish an excuse for exis- 

 tence the Chapter must have a mission as well as this broadly stated 

 object. The mission, if we properly understand it, is the exhaustive 

 study of some one limited topic, accomplished by the plan of co-opera- 

 tive study. The degree to which we are fulfilling this mission will find 

 a ready answer in the mind of each member, for its fulfillment depends 

 directly upon the earnest effort of each member. A complete fulfillment 

 necessitates an exhaustive study of the object chosen by each member in 

 his own locality. While a complete fulfillment can hardly be hoped for, 

 on account of the limitations of time and opportunity of the most of us 

 who are pressed by other duties, yet completeness can be closely approxi- 



