134 Correspondence. ban. 



' The Auk ' goes to press. Promptness of publication is important and there 

 is no time for the necessary correspondence to complete the records. In 

 the case of Associates the editor seldom learns of deaths until the list of 

 members for the next year is submitted for publication. 



The best plan that suggests itself for keeping an accurate record of de- 

 ceased members, and ensuring proper obituary notices, would be to appoint 

 some competent member of the Union, such as Dr. Palmer, as a permanent 

 committee on History and Biography, a suggestion which is hereby respect- 

 fully offered to the president and council. Ed.] 



Time of Incubation. 



Editor op 'The Auk': 



The writer is gathering data on the length of the incubation in various 

 bird species. He would like to ask if any of the readers of 'The Auk' 

 could help him in this quest. Knowledge of the exact time would be pre- 

 ferred but an approximate might help. He has already collected a con- 

 siderable mass of information on this subject, but wishes more, especially 

 concerning the lower and lowest forms of bird life. Any expense in this 

 matter would be gladly defrayed by the writer. 



Yours cordially, 



W. H. Bergtold. 



1159 Race St., Denver, Colo., 

 November 26, 1914. 



Proposed Revision of the By-Laws of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union. 



Editor of ' The Auk ' : 



I wish to address all working ornithologists and oologists in the United 

 States and Canada, — through the columns of 'The Auk,' 'Condor,' and 

 'Wilson Bulletin.' For a number of years, there have been many of the 

 working ornithologists and oologists who have not been satisfied with the 

 present by-laws of the American Ornithologists' Union. This dissatis- 

 faction has been shared alike by "Fellows," "Members" and "Associates" 

 of the Union. We have seen in a mild form from time to time this dissatis- 

 faction expressed in the columns of 'The Auk,' only to be side-tracked and 

 dropped with but small notice and courtesy. 



I have just received the annual circular letter from the A. O. U., stating 

 my dues for the ensuing year are now due, and asking for new members, etc., 

 etc. Each year as I look over this communication I ask myself, "Shall I 

 continue in the A. O. U., and what can I offer a new member as an induce- 

 ment to have him join the "Union? " Carefully looking through the pages 

 of the by-laws I can find no inducement to offer him, nor do I see any 



