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Notes and News. [October 



siliens,' (H^iHe. 1S56), in five volumes, of which two are devoted to birds. 

 He also published a number of" special papers on the birds of Brazil and the 

 Argentine Republic. 



Readers of 'The Auk' will deeply sympathize with Dr. R. W. Shufeldt 

 in the loss ot his son by death from drowning in the Ohio River, near 

 Marietta, Ohio, July 11, 1892, while on a collecting trip for birds for the 

 Museum of Marietta College. The particulars of the sad event are detailed 

 by Professor H. W. Hulbert of Marietta College, in a letter to 'The Auk' 

 published on a preceding page, who pays a high tribute to the worth and 

 memory of this enthusiastic and promising young naturalist. 



The Potomac Valley Ornithological Club of Washington, D. C. 

 was formally organized on February i, 1892. The purpose of the Club, as 

 expressed in its constitution, is "the study of ornithology in general, and es- 

 pecially the promotion of a better knowledge of the avifauna of the region 

 within twenty miles of the Capitol at Washington." The following offi- 

 cers were elected : President, William Palmer ; Vice-President, F. H. Hitch- 

 cock; Secretary, E. M. Hasbrouck. The membership of the Club has in- 

 creased from nine to twenty-three. Meetings are held on the first and 

 third Mondays of each month, with a recess during July and August. 



The following papers have been read : By William Palmer, A two days 

 trip on the Island of St. Paul, Bering Sea; Occurence of Contoftis rich- 

 ardsonti ? in the District of Columbia ; Summer Birds of Golden Gate Park, 

 San Francisco, Cal. ; Summer Birds of Hanover County, Va. By F. E. L, 

 Beal, Polygamy in the group Passeres ; The Usefulness of Seed-Eating 

 Birds. By T. S. Palmer, Remarks on the Birds of Golden Gate Park, San 

 Francisco, Cal. By E. J. Brown, the Summar Birds of Cobb's Island, Va. 

 By W. E. Clyde Todd, The Ruddy Duck in Beaver County, Pa.; The 

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. By E. M. Hasbrouck, Remarks upon Dichroma- 

 tism ; The Helminthophilce of the District of Columbia ; rare captures in 

 the District of Columbia for 1892. 



Two additional volumes of the British Museum Catalogue of Birds have 

 recently been published, namely, Volumes XVI and XVII. The former 

 contains the Hummingbirds, by Mr. Osbert Salvin, and the Swifts, Goat- 

 suckers, and their allies, by Mr. Ernst Hartert. Volume XVII contains 

 the Rollers, Bee-eaters, Kingfishers, Motmots and Colies, by Mr. R. 

 Bowdler Sharpe, and the Hornbills and Trogons, by Mr. W. Ogilvie 

 Grant. These volumes will be noticed at length in a later issue of this 

 Journal. 



The Tenth Congress of the American Ornithologists' Union will be 

 held in Washington, D. C, beginning Tuesday, November 15, 1892. The 

 meetings will be held at the U. S. National Museum. Members intend- 

 ing to present papers are requested to send the titles of the same to the 

 Secretary, Mr. John H. Sage, Portland, Conn., at least one week prior to 

 the date on which the Congress convenes, in order to facilitate the prepar- 

 ation of a programme of papers to be read before the Congress. A large 

 attendance is anticipated, and papers of special interest will be presented. 



