The American Ornithologists' Union 



]W T. S. I'A L M K \{ 



Sccr.'tin-v of the A. O. U. 



Tiili{TY-ri\E years a-o, on 

 September 2(5, 1883, a little 

 ijroiiji of seientifie men iiid in 

 the liltrarv of the Ameriean ^Iiise\iin of 

 Xatural History to effect a peniiaiieiit 

 or<!:anization for the advaiieeiiieiil of 

 ornithology. They were all (lee[)ly in- 

 terested in tiic study of birds and be- 

 lieved that greater ])rogress could he 

 made by cooperation than by individual 

 effort. It was essentially a group of 

 young uien. for of the twenty-one pres- 

 ent, seven had not reached thirty and 

 onlv three had passed the age of fifty. 

 This little company together with Dr. 

 J. A. Allen, of the American i\ruseum, 

 and Professor Spencer F. Baird, secre- 

 tary of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 constituted the twenty-three Founders 

 of the American Ornithologists' Union. 

 They builded better than they knew, 

 for Avhen they adjourned three days 

 later they had laid the foundation of 

 work which has since profoundly af- 

 fected the development of ornithology 

 in America. They had also outlined 

 woi'k which has since resulted in the 

 establishment of an important bureau 

 of the government service, the endow- 

 ment of a unique association for the 

 study and protection of birds, and has 

 extended its influence even into the 

 fields of legislation and international 

 dijilonuicy. 



In Xovember of this year, 1018. the 

 rnioii. now the largest association of 

 its kind in the world, with ncai'ly a 

 thousand members, will return for tlic 

 twelfth time to revisit its "Ahim Mu- 

 ter," to review the work of the year, 

 and to outline plans for the immediate 

 future. It is not ""ranted to uianv men 



to li\c to see the dcxclopinent of their 

 earlv plans, but more than ball' of the 

 I'^dunders df the Auu^rican Ornitholo- 

 gists" I Dion ai'e still living and most 

 of these ai-e members of its council. 



The chief objects of the Union ac- 

 cording to the articles of incor})oration, 

 foi- the Union was didy incorporated as 

 a uatioiud organization in 1888, are 

 ""tlic advancement of its members in 

 oniilliological scieiu-e and the publica- 

 tion of a joiii'nal of ornithology and 

 other works relating to that science.'' 

 The first object is attained through per- 

 sonal intercourse, meetings, correspond- 

 ence, and the promotion of projects 

 of common interest, and the second 

 through publications Mhith have now 

 become widely known. 



Mp:mbersiiip ii^ the American 

 Ornithologists' Unions 



Memliersbi]) in the Union is o])en to 

 any reputable person who has an inter- 

 est in birds or bird study. The quali- 

 fications of the different classes of mem- 

 bers are so graded that any one, whether 

 a professional ornithologist, or a bird 

 lover familiar with only a few common 

 species, can find congenial spirits who 

 have interests in common. To meet the 

 needs of the various groups between 

 these extremes, the By-Laws provide 

 seven classes of membership, but virtu- 

 allv these groups are reduced to four: 

 ( 1 ) Fellows, limited to 50 in nundiei- 

 and eligible to ofTice ; (2) Mendjers, 

 limited to 100, who share with Fellows 

 the right to participate in the business 

 of the Union: (3) Associates, unlimited 

 in UTimliei-: and (4) Foreign Members, 

 di\ idcd into two groups of (a) Honorarv 



' The next meeting will be held at tlie American Museum of Natxiral History, New York. .November 

 11-14, 1918. Information concerning the Union may be had on application to the Secretary, 1939 

 Biltmore Street, N. W., Washington. I). C. 



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