THE O6LOGIST. 



65 



Report of the Third Annual Meeting- 

 of the N. 0. A. 



The Northwestern Ornithological As- 

 sociation held its third annual meeting 

 at Salem, Oregon, on the 29th and 30th 

 of December, 1896. The meeting was a 

 success in every respect, members be- 

 ing present from all parts of the state. 

 Rounding off the work of the closing 

 year, reading and the discussion of the 

 numerous reports and papers, and 

 starting the work for the coming year 

 on a solid, systematic basis was a task 

 of such proportions that almost contin- 

 uous session was required for its com- 

 pletion. 



As it was desired to make the meet- 

 ings interesting to the general public, 

 arrangements were made by the pro- 

 gram committee to have the sessions 

 held in the Auditorium of the Willa- 

 mette University. This being a large, 

 well lighted ball, the collections were 

 shown to excellent advantage. 



George D. Peck of Salem, had a large 

 part of his extensive collection of birds 

 artistically moiinted which increased 

 the interest taken in the meetings by 

 the public. The most satisfactory feat- 

 ure of this Deautiful exhibit, to students 

 at least, was the large series of the east- 

 ern and western varieties of the same 

 species. Those of us who are strug- 

 gling with that intricate taxonomical 

 science of dividing and subdividing, 

 with which the A. O. U. has burdened 

 us, can easily appreciate the value of 

 such a collection. Mr. Peck's extended 

 knowledge of the birds on both sides of 

 the Rockies was of much assistance to 

 the students in their comparative study 

 of plumage variation. 



One of the most complete and inter- 

 esting collections of Oregon bird's eggs 

 that has ever been gathered into one 

 display, it was the good fortune of the 

 society to exhibit on this occasion. Its 

 completeness was accomplished only by 

 the active and enthusiastic co-opera- 



tion of the members; each one bringing 

 with him, or sending by mail, if unable 

 personally to attend, his rarer sets and 

 nests. 



An open session was arranged for the 

 evening of the 29th, the program con- 

 taining essays written with a view of 

 interesting the general public in our 

 science. Until half-past eight those 

 present were pleasantly occupied in ex- 

 amining and scudying the collections 

 which were explained and described by 

 the [members. Then our president, 

 William L. Finley, called the meeting 

 to order and welcomed those present 

 with a polished address in which he 

 gave a brief history of the society and 

 the work it has accomplished since its 

 organization in 1894. He then dwelt at 

 length on the future before the society 

 and the unequaled opportunities to ad- 

 vance the science of Ornithology which 

 this association possesses. The mer- 

 cernary ends and methods of the aver- 

 age pseudo ornithologist he strongly 

 condemned, especially, the wholesale 

 exchanging and buying of eggs, which 

 practice has increased so alarmingly 

 during the past decade. 



In the absence of the author, D. 

 Franklin Weeks read an interesting 

 paper on "A Trip through Eastern and 

 Southern Oregon," by Guy Q. Stryker. 



Ellis F. Had ley followed by a paper 

 on "The Red-breasted Nuthatch." His 

 description of its nesting habits inter- 

 esting everyone. 



Master James Mott varied the pro- 

 gram by a unique recitation entitled 

 "The Owl Critic." 



The experiences of a naturalist in a 

 day's ramble were delightfully describ- 

 ed by Herman T. Bohlman in his "In- 

 cidents of a Day's Collecting among 

 Aquatic Birds." 



The "Notes on the Pileolated Warb- 

 ler," by Hervey M. Hoskins, showed 

 this observer's thorough knowledge of 

 a rare Warbler. 



The session closed with an essay by 



