REPORT ON THE ROBIN. 75 



ATTEMPT AT A REPOET OE THE COMMITTEE ON THE 

 "EOBIN, ETC." 



BY JOHN li. EUSSELL, CHAIRMAN. 



At a quarterly meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 October 7, 1865, it was voted, " That a Committee be appointed to re- 

 view the former action of the Society in regard to the protection of the 

 Robin, and also to investigate in regard to the habits and food of that 

 and other birds, and report to the Society." 



The President appointed Messrs. W. C. Strong, T. M. Brewer, F. 

 Parkman, J. W. P. Jenks, E. A. Brackett, H. W. Fuller, John 

 L. Russell, Chairman. 



The first intimation the Chairman of the Committee had of the Soci- 

 ety's vote was on January 26, 1866, by an official letter from the Record- 

 ing Secretary, bearing date of January 19, 1866, as follows : 



Boston, January 19, 1866. 

 Sir: — You are respectfully requested to attend a meeting of the Com- 

 mittee, of which you ai'e a member, at the library room of the Society 



on 



By order, 



Chairman. 



The members of the Committee will meet you at any time you will 



name. 



F. P. Denny, Bee. Sec. 



To this I replied as follows: — 



Salem, 26th January, 1866. 

 F. P. Denny, Recording Seci-etary, &c. : 



Ignorant of the fact that I am on any Committee of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, from not being notified to that effect by the 

 Corresponding Secretary, I am, dear sir, unable to appoint any time of 

 meeting as proposed in your favor of 19th inst. 



Respectfully yours, John L. Russell. 



This reply was directed to the Recording Secretary, addressed to Bos- 

 ton, and sent by mail, and not having reached him was returned to me 

 from the Return Letter Office on April 5, 1866. 



Shortly after I received the following: — 



Boston, April 9, 1866. 

 Prof. Russell: 



Dear Sir: — At a meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural Socie- 

 ty, held on Saturday last, it was voted, " That the Recording Secretary 



