Records of Meetings 



Regular Meeting, October 21, 191 1 



The meeting was held in the assembly hall of the museum, 154 Stuy- 

 vesant Place, New Brighton, President Howard R. Bayne in the chair and 

 35 persons present. 



The minutes of the annual meeting were read and approved. 



The committee appointed to award the annual prize in natural science, 

 offered by the association to pupils in Curtis High School, made the 

 following report : 



" The subject of the 191 1 competition was an essay of not less than 1,000 

 words, giving an account of some Staten Island brook, describing (i) its 

 source, (2) its geographical course, (3) the character of the country 

 through which it flows, (4) discussion of special physiographic features, 

 such as erosion, rapids, falls, etc., (5) fauna and flora to be observed 

 along the stream, (6) historical facts,, if any, connected with it. 



" Two essays were received in competition, and the prize was awarded 

 to Mr. John M. Rabitte of Tottenville. The subject selected by the com- 

 mittee for next year's competition is as follows : 



"An essay of not less than 2,500 words on 'The Bird Life of Staten 

 Island.' It must touch on the following themes: (i) General summary of 

 the birds found on the island, (2) Bird migration, (3) The relation of 

 our birds to agriculture, with specific examples, (4) Notes on some one 

 kind of bird during the nesting season, this to include (a) time nest was 

 found or begun, (b) date young hatched, (c) number of times young are 

 fed in any given time during the day, (d) length of time from hatching to 

 date of departure from nest. 



" The essay is to be supplemented by a migration list of not less than 

 25 species of summer residents and transients (no winter residents or 

 permanent residents to be included). The three particulars to be included 

 in this list are, name of species, date when first seen, and locality. It will 

 be an additional point of merit if the writer signifies whether each bird 

 is a breeding bird on the island or simply a migrant passing through. 

 This is not insisted on, but will be taken strongly into consideration in the 

 judging of compositions. The latter must be submitted to the principal of 

 Curtis High School on or before June 15, 1912." 



Charles Louis Pollard, 

 Harry F. Towle, 

 William T. Davis, 

 • Committee. 



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