'*'°89^'^] Fifteenth Congress of the A. O. U. 47 



lay were absolutely of one tint — monochrome; yet it was con- 

 spicuously visible at a long distance, because of its normal 

 gradation of shading from the sky's light, although there was no 

 underside visible to show a culmination of shadow. The other 

 decoy he painted in imitation of a hare's or snipe's gradation, and 

 so successfully that it became totally invisible at a distance of 

 four or five yards. He explained that the statement in his first 

 paper that not a feather of the upper surfaces of the woodcock 

 and grouse had been artificially colored referred only to the 

 feathers along the median dorsal region. 



The skin of a cottontail rabbit was exhibited, showing a most 

 perfect gradation from black hairs of the middle of the back and 

 over the shoulders to the white of the belly. 



This communication, in connection with that given at Cam- 

 bridge a year ago, completes Mr. Thayer's admirable demonstration 

 of his theory of the great underlying principle of protective color- 

 ation in animals. 



In the evening an illustrated lecture on ' A Naturalist's Expedi- 

 tion to East Africa' was given in the large lecture hall of the 

 Museum by Mr. D. G. Elliot before an audience of some 1200 

 persons. 



Third Day. — In the absence of the President and both Vice- 

 Presidents, the meeting was called to order by the Secretary. 

 Ex-President Allen was made Chairman pro td?n. Before proceed- 

 ing to the reading of papers, resolutions were adopted thanking 

 the Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History for a 

 place of meeting and for other courtesies tendered to the Union ; 

 and to the Linnaean Society of New York for generous hospital- 

 ities extended to the Union during its Fifteenth Congress. 



The first paper of the morning was by Edwin I. Haines on 

 ' The Summer Birds of the Catskill Mountains, with remarks 

 upon the Faunae of the Region.' Discussion followed by Messrs. 

 Elliot, Butcher, and Batchelder, Drs. Coues and Dwight, and the 

 author. 



The second paper was ' The Terns of Muskeget Island, Mass.,' 

 by George H. Mackay. In the absence of the author, it was read 

 by Mr> Butcher. Remarks followed by Mr. Fuertes. 



The third title was ' Remarks on an Exhibition of certain 



