THE OOLOGIST. 



199 



Ornithologists' Association- 

 secretary's report. 



The Ornithologist's Association met 

 Sept. loth at Washington, D. C, and 

 the following persons were proposed 

 for membership in the Association: 



Active.— A. Lake, 1337 U St. N. W., 

 Washington, D. C. 



Corresponding.— Frank H. Shoemak- 

 er, Hampton, Iowa; Bert H. Bailey, 

 402 A. Ave., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dr. 

 A. G. Prill, Springville, Erie Co., N. Y. 

 J. Alden Loring, Owego, Tioga Co. N. 

 Y. Richard D. Lnsk, Tombstone, Coch- 

 ase Co., Arizona. 



As no objections were made they will 

 be admitted to full membership on pay- 

 ment of dues. 



I quote from the By Laws, "The dues 

 ■of all active members shall be one dol- 

 lar, and of all corresponding members 

 tifty cants, per annum, payable semi- 

 annually in advance." 



-HARLAN'S BUZZARD AND THE RED-TAIL" 



Some time ago the question as to the 

 differentiating points betw r een these 

 two species was raised in the Oologist 

 and there was a reference to my book, 

 "Our Birds in Their Haunt," in which 

 I quote C. J. Maynard on said points. 

 That quotation makes the four outer 

 primaries "incised on the inner webs," 

 a maiu point of difference. This diag- 

 ■ nosis is at fault, and shows how we may 

 err in quoting others without independ- 

 ent inflection and examination on our 

 own part. It is strange that Mr. Maynard 

 should not have known that all the 

 Buteos have the inner webs of the four 

 •outer primaries incised. 



Nor can anything definite be affirmed 

 as to difference in the size of the two 

 species; for the extreme measurements 

 of harlani may be said to be included 

 ^n the extreme measurements of bore- 

 •alis. 



What then is the difference? Simply 



the color. In structure they are iden- 

 tical. This difference in color is for the 

 most part in the tail. The clear chest- 

 nut red of the tail of the matui'e borealis 

 the regular dusky subterminal band, 

 and the regular crossbands of light and 

 dark dusky in immature birds of the 

 species, are in marked contrast to the 

 streaked and clouded tail of harlani, in 

 which streaks of red are but occasion- 

 ally seen, and white or whitish soon 

 becomes the prevailing characteristic. 



Another point of difference is to be 

 found in the absence in harlani of the 

 ocherous or reddish shades so common 

 in borealis, especially about the head 

 and neck. The dusky or black so dom- 

 inent in harlani, giving it a blackish 

 general effect, is however, only on 

 the tips of the plumage, the inner parts 

 being white. This white becomes ag- 

 gressive with age; and, as the under 

 parts tend to be pure white, the species 

 finally becomes decidedly hoary. 



Allow me to note here, that Mr. 

 Ridgeway regards one specimen from 

 Iowa as intermediate; and hence be- 

 lieves harlani to be simply a geographi- 

 cal variety or race. 



Harlan's Buzzard is a Southern var- 

 iety, inhabiting the Gulf States and 

 Lower Mississippi Valley, sometimes 

 straggling to Pennsylvania, Illinois and 

 Iowa. 



EGGS OF THE BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 



A query was raised in the Oologist 

 sometime ago, as to the size of the eggs 

 of the Broad-winged Hawk. There is a 

 very small series in the National Mus- 

 eum. The average measurement is 

 1.93x1.56. 



Please notice that this article is the 

 substance of a discussion in the Ornith- 

 ologists Association, which is now fairly 

 on its feet and in working order. 



J. H. Langille. 



Mr. E. J. Brown during a trip to 

 Cobbs Island, Va. the past summer 



