488 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



saw two or three dozen. No others were seen until the 22nd, 

 when I saw a single example in Recherche Bay ; this specimen, 

 which I secured, has the throat in a transition state between the 

 black of summer and white of winter. On the 27th nine were 

 seen at sea, about lat. 75° 30'. Not one young one of this species 

 was seen. The same remark applies to this species as to the 

 last named. 



Northern Puffin, Fratercula glacialis, Leach; Norwegian 

 colloquial, " Lun " (Dictionary, "Lunde"). — Some Puffins seen 

 immediately north of the Norwegian coast on August 27th were 

 probably of the common species, as also a couple seen the next 

 day. A solitary Puffin seen on the 31st, in about lat. 74°, may 

 very possibly have been of the Northern species. On the evening 

 of Sept. 2nd, in about lat. 75°, one that was apparently charmed 

 by our skipper's accordion was without doubt a Northern Puffin. 

 A single bird seen off the ice surrounding Edge's Land on Sept. 

 5th; after that we saw one on the 8th, two or three on the 10th, 

 one on the 11th, one on the 15th, two shot on the 16th ; and on the 

 19th several birds in the distance were probably of this species. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



American Ornithologists' Union. — The founding of an American 

 Ornithologists' Union, during the past autumn, must be recorded as an 

 important event in the progress of ornithological science. On the 26th of 

 September last about twenty of the most prominent ornithologists of the 

 United States and Canada assembled in the Library of the American 

 Museum of Natural History at Central Park, New York, and founded a 

 society to be known as the American Ornithologists' Union. A constitution 

 was adopted, and the following officers were elected : — President, Mr. J. A. 

 Allen; Vice-Presidents, Dr. Elliott Coues and Mr. Robert Ridgway; 

 Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. C. Hart Merriam. The founders of the 

 Union are: — Messrs. J. A. Allen (Cambridge, Mass.), C. Aldrich, Prof. 

 S. F. Baird, H. B. Bailey, C. F. Batchelder, Capt. C. E. Bendire, E. P. 

 Bicknell, Win. Brewster, Nathan Clifford Brown, Montague Chamberlain, 

 Chas. B. Cory, Dr. Elliott Coues, D. G. Elliot, Dr. A. K. Fisher, Dr. J. B. 

 Holder, Thomas Mcllwraith, Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, Dr. C. Hart Merriam, 

 Dr. D. W. Prentiss, H. A. Purdie, Robert Ridgway, Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, 

 and Dr. J. M.Wheaton. The constitution states that: — " The Union shall 

 consist of Active, Foreigu, Corresponding, and Associate members. Active 



