82 Fourteenth Congress of the A. O. U. ^j"^ 



which he advocates be deemed advisable, we should regard the 

 Southern Downy Woodpecker as the true Dryobates pnbescens 

 (Linn.), calling the bird of the middle region Dryobates pnbescens 

 tnedianus (Sw.) and that of northern British America Dryobates 

 pnbescetis nclsoni Oberholser. The alternative would be to adopt 

 Swainson's arrangement in toto, for if not applicable to the 

 southern form the name pnbescens is subspecifically indetermin- 

 able and Swainson was within his rights in restricting it to 

 the Downy Woodpecker of the far north and in bestowing new 

 names on the other two birds. 



FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE AMERICAN ORNI- 

 THOLOGISTS' UNION. 



The Fourteenth Congress of the American Ornithologists' 

 Union convened in Cambridge, Mass., Monday evening, Novem- 

 ber 9, 1896. The business meeting was held at the residence of 

 Mr. Charles F. Batchelder. The public sessions, lasting three days, 

 were held in the Nash Lecture-room of the University Museum, 

 commencing Tuesday, November 10. 



Business Session. — The meeting was called to order by the 

 President, Mr. William Brewster. Thirteen Active Members were 

 present. The Secretary's report gave the membership of the 

 Union at the opening of the present Congress as 673, constituted 

 as follows : Active, 47 ; Honorary, 19 ; Corresponding, 67 ; Asso- 

 ciate 540. 



During the year the Union lost seventy-two members, — seven 

 by death, fifteen by resignation, and fifty were dropped for non- 

 payment of dues. The members lost by death were Henry 

 Seebohm,^ an Honorary Member, who died in London, England, 

 November 26, 1895, aged 63 years; Dr. Juan Gundlach,^ who 

 died in Havana, Cuba, March 14, 1896, at the age of 85, also an 



' For an obituary notice, see Auk, XIII, 1896, pp. 96-97. 

 - For an obituary notice, see //■>i{f., p. 267. 



