20 EEPOET OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



We have all killed birds and collected eggs, but not to a useless 

 excess, and have always, we believe, made real use of our collections 

 in adding to the knowledge of birds and advancing the science of 

 ornithology. 



As active members of the American Ornithologists' Union we are 

 only too glad to encourage the study of birds and aid the beginner, 

 but unless some steps be taken against this useless egg collecting the 

 extermination of some of our birds at least will soon be effected. 



We ask your earnest consideration of these points and trust you 

 will aid us by your influence and example in advancing true ornithol- 

 ogy and in discouraging the waste of bird-life occasioned by this 

 "fad" of egg collecting. 



WITMER STONE, 

 Conservator Ornithological Section Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. 



J. A. ALLEN, 



Curator Dept. Vertebrate Zool. Amer. Mus. Nut. Hist., New York City. 



FRANK M. CHAPMAN, 



Ass't Curator Dept. Vertebrate Zool. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York. 



ROBERT RIDGWAY, 

 Curator Dept. of Birds, U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C. 



CHARLES W. RICHMOND, 

 Ass't Curator Dept. of Birds, U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C. 



C. HART MERRIAM, 



Chief U. S. Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



T. S. PALMER, 

 Ass't Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



A. K. FISHER, 

 Ass't Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



WILLIAM BREWSTER, 



Curator Dept. of Birds, Museum Comp. Zool., Cambridge, Mass. 



WILLIAM DUTCHER, 



President National Asso. of Audubon Societies, New York City. 



JOHN H. SAGE, 



Secretary American Ornithologists' Union, Portland, Conn. 



