iSS-f-l Mccti)ig of Ihc A III oil- ill! Oriiil liologhli' Uiiiou. 377 



The third (hiy's session was occupied lari^ely with the report of 

 the Committee on Uird Mi^nitioii. 'J'lie Chairman, Dr. Merriam, 

 gave a risitnie of the character and phm of the work undertaken 

 by the Committee, and presented reports from several of the 

 superintendents of ch'stricts in illusti-ation of the method of tabu- 

 hitin^- the returns received from observers, and also one report 

 showing the final generalized results. He referred to the circular 

 issued by the Committee,* defining the limits of the districts, 

 thirteen in number, and the duties of the superinteiulents. and 

 giving instructions as to methods of observation. In order to 

 secure tiie large number of observers needed for the work, the 

 Chairman wrote personally to Soo editors of newspapers, sending 

 them circulars and asking them to call attention to the character 

 and importance of the work and the need of observers. The 

 press accordingly gave wide currency to the call for aid, abstracts 

 of the circular, and sometimes the circular in full, with favorable 

 editorial comment, being published in several hundred news- 

 papers. This resulted in upwards of 3000 applications to the 

 Committee for circulars of information and instruction, and the 

 enlistment of nearly 700 observers, in addition to the keepers of 

 lighthouses and lightships, raising the total number of observers 

 secured to nearly 1000, distributed as follows : Mississippi Valley 

 District, Professor W. W. Cooke, superintendent, 170; New 

 England District, John H. Sage, superintendent, 143; Atlantic 

 District, Dr. A. K. Fisher, superintendent, 121 ; Middle-Eastern 

 District, Dr. J. M. Wheaton, superintendent, 90; Qtiebec and 

 the Maritime Provinces, Montague Chamberlain, superintend- 

 ent, s6 ; District of Ontario, Thomas J^lcllwraith, superintend- 

 ent, 38 ; Pacific District, L. Belding, superintendent, 30 ; Rocky 

 Mountain District, Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, superintendent, 14 ; 

 Manitoba, Professor W. W. Cooke, superintendent, 10; British 

 Columbia, John Fannin, superintendent, 5 ; North-West Territo- 

 ries, Ernest E. T. Seaton. superintendent, 5 ; Newfoundland, 

 James P, Howley, superintendent, — .''f 



The Committee w^as fortunate in obtaining the cooperation of 

 the Department of ^larine and Fisheries of Canada, and of the 

 Lighthouse Board of the United States. By this means it secur- 

 ed the free distribution of upwards of 1200 sets of schedules and 



* See Auk, I, pp. 71-76. t Not yet lieard from. 



