PROCEEDINGS. 



573 



December 21, 1S96. — Stated Meeting. 



"Vice-President Behr in the chair. 



On motion of Mr. Chapman, seconded by Mr. Keeler, the following 

 resolution was adopted: 



" In view of the fact that certain birds in California are threatened with 

 extinction, owing to persistent persecution upon their nesting grounds, 

 it is urgent that immediate action be taken to secure protection for them, 

 and I would therefore move that a committee of three be appointed to 

 report at the next meeting of the Academy the state of the existing Cali- 

 fornia law bearing upon birds, and the amendments necessary to afford 

 protection to song birds, and to birds during the nesting season." 



The chairman named the following members as a committee to act under 

 the resolution: 



William S. Chapman, William M. Pierson and Charles A. Keeler. 

 The nominating committee made their report, naming the following 

 ticket: 



For President, David Starr Jordan. 



First Vice-President, William E. Kitter. 

 Second Vice-President, H. H. Behr. 

 Corresponding Secretary, J. O'B. Gunn. 

 Recording Secretary, G. P. Rixford. 

 Treasurer, L. H. Foote. 

 Librarian, George C. Edwards. 

 Director of Museum, Charles A. Keeler. 



Trustees — William M. Pierson, Irving M. Scott, Charles F. Crocker, 

 Lewis Gerstle, E. J. Molera, George C. Perkins and G. W. Stewart. 



The paper of the evening was presented by Harold W. Fairbanks, 

 Ph.D., "An Outline of the Geological History of California," illustrated 

 with lantern slides. 



January 4, 1S97 — Stated Meeting. 



The President in the chair. 



The committee appointed on Bird Protection reported as follows: 



To the President and Members of the Academy of Sciences .-—Your com- 

 mittee, heretofore appointed for the purpose of taking into consideration 

 and reporting to this body the form of such legislation as is needed for 

 the protection of wild birds in this State, beg leave to report as follows: 



They have examined the laws of the various States of the Union and 

 find that in New York and Massachusetts particularly the legislation has 

 been substantially what the committee deems desirable to have upon the 

 statute books of this State. They recommend therefore that the Le^isla- 



