4 ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



abunaance of the Ipswich Sparrow on the New Jersey coast led him to 

 beheve that it varied in different years. Mr. De Haven stated that 

 his observations at Cape Charles, Va., showed these birds so be very 

 irregular. Dr. Hughes gave a talk on "The Hawks of Tinicum, 

 Delaware Co., Pa." The great abundance of mice in this locality ac- 

 counting for the large number of hawks that congregate there. They 

 begin to arrive in October — first the Red-tailed, then the Red-shoul- 

 dered, and last the Rough-leg {Archibuteo ) . Of fifteen hawks shot the 

 past winter, fourteen were Red-tails, the other being a Red-shouldered. 

 Three of the Red-tails were in adult plumage. The birds roost in a 

 patch of tall woods situated on the meadows ; the time of coming in 

 varies with the day. On dull days they come in much earlier than 

 when bright. Rough-legs had been noted quite abundantly in former 

 years, but this year there were very few. He thought there was no 

 diminution in the other species over former years. Marsh Hawks 

 were noted on every trip to the meadows, but were very variable in 

 numbers. The recent comparative abundance of birds in the adult male 

 plumage was commented on, the average in former years not being 

 over one in fifty. 



Dr. Hughes described the taking of a Carolina Wren's nest contain- 

 ing three eggs, at Perryville, Md., on April 6th, and the shooting of 

 three Cedar Waxwings, all females, on which the wa.x tips to the feathers 

 were unusually largely developed. Six birds of the same species re- 

 cently shot from a flock at Avalon, N. J., were all males. He suggested 

 the possibility of the sexes flocking separately at this season of the 

 year. 



April 2T, i8g8. — Nineteen members present. 



Mr. George S. Morris gave a talk on a trip made May 30, 1897, to 

 the region about the mouth of Pensauken Creek, N. J., on the Dela- 

 ware River. The country for about a half mile up the creek is covered 

 with a swamp of reeds and timber of medium growth. Bank Swallows 

 ( Clivicola riparid) were abundant, flying over the swamp, and bred in 

 a large colony in the vicinity. During the day, eighteen nests of the 

 Summer Warbler {Dendroica cpsfiva) were found, as well as a number 

 of the Marsh Wren ( Cistothorus palusiris). None of the latter, however, 

 contained eggs. A male specimen of the Mourning Warbler ( Geothlypis 

 Philadelphia') was shot by Mr. Morris. A roost of Night Herons was 

 found, containing about twenty-five birds. Nests of the Carolina Wren 

 and Great Crested Flycatcher were found, and a Kingfisher's nest, all 

 with eggs. Two Greater Yellow Legs ( Totatius fnelatioleucus) were 

 seen along the river. The advantages offered by this locality as a field 



