1SSo. | Notes and News. 5 3 
ton were taken during the late session of the Union in that city, and a 
certificate of incorporation was duly received and filed, the Union at once 
entering upon its career as a corporate body. 
AT A MEETING of the Nuttall Ornithological Club on December 3, 1885, 
the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Wil- 
liam Brewster; Vice-President, William A. Jeffries; Secretary, Arthur 
P. Chadbourne; Corresponding Secretary, H. A. Purdie; Treasurer, C. 
F. Batchelder; Editor, Montague Chamberlain. 
The readers of ‘The Auk’ will be gratified to know that the Nuttall 
Club, to whose fostering care this journal long owed its existence, con- 
tinues with advancing years to gain in strength and activity. The atten- 
dance at the meetings has been much fuller and more regular of late 
years, although a large proportion of the members live at some little 
distance from Cambridge. The following are Resident Members of the 
Club: Edward A. Bangs, Outram Bangs, C. F. Batchelder, A. C. Bent, 
Frank Bolles, William Brewster, William S. Bryant, Arthur P. Chad- 
bourne, Montague Chamberlain, Charles B. Cory, Walter Faxon, N.A. 
Francis, Joseph L. Goodale, J. Amory Jeffries, William A. Jeffries, Fred- 
eric H. Kennard, Charles R. Lamb, Edward C. Mason, Henry A. Purdie, 
Henry M. Spelman. 
Tue Second Concress of the International Ornithological Commit- 
tee will be held at Buda-Pest in the spring of 1889. The President of the 
Committee, Dr. Rudolf Blasius,and the Secretary, Dr. Gustav yon Hayek, 
have issued a circular note to the members of the Committee, setting 
forth the objects of the Congress and suggesting subjects for considera- 
tion. In addition to the report on the work of the Committee during the 
last five years, which will be submitted, it is proposed to bring forward 
the following questions for action: (1) The establishing of an interna- 
tional classification and nomenclature of birds for general adoption. 
This involves an agreement in respect to a system of classification, and 
the principles on which nomenclature shall be based. The scheme fur- 
ther includes the preparation of a new ‘Hand-list of Genera and Species’, 
that of the late Dr. G. R. Gray, completed in 1871, having become in a 
measure obsolete through the lapse of time and the progress of the 
science. It is proposed that the labor of its preparation be divided 
among numerous specialists, who will act as collaborators, the publica- 
tion of the work to be superintended by the Committee. (2) To se- 
cure additional observers, in districts not as yet properly covered to aid 
in determining the principal lines of migration. (3) Recommendations 
and suggestions respecting legislation for the better protection of birds, 
particularly during the spring migration and the breeding season. (4) 
The determination of the status of the different groups of birds as 
regards their economic relations to agriculture and forestry. Besides the 
above the Committee recommend the adoption of the metric system of 
measurement in all works relating to ornithology; and also to use scien- 
tific names of birds in all scientific publications, in addition to the ver- 
nacular names, in case the latter are used.‘ 
