THE OOLOGlST 



Darsie C. Bard, entitled "Biographical 

 Sketches of Great Ornithologists," in 

 which he gave some interesting notes 

 from the lives of Buffon, White, and 

 Macgillivry. 



Work began the next morning at 8:30 

 and with an hour at noon and in the 

 evening, for rest and refreshments, the 

 president did not rap his gavel for dis- 

 missal until the night had spent itself 

 by half. 



The entire morning was devoted to a 

 most interesting lecture by George D. 

 Peck on Taxidermy, He supplemented 

 his remarks by practical illustrations 

 in the art of skinning birds and mount- 

 ing them. The value of such a lesson 

 from one so experienced is -inestimable 

 to students who, as a rule, have access 

 only to written descriptions. 



Wednesday afternoon was devoted to 

 the business. After hearing the repoi'ts 

 from officers and standing committee, 

 the club preceded to plan the work for 

 the coming year. A field work com- 

 mittee was appointed whose duties 

 were classed as follows: (a) to revise 

 and complete the association's check 

 list of Oregon birds, (b) to superintend 

 the preparation of migration co-opera- 

 tion with other ornithological associa- 

 tions, (c) to direct the field of the soci- 

 ety and to organize collecting expedi- 

 tions among its members. 



The committee for 1897 is: Secretary 

 of the Association, chairman (Present 

 incumbent of Portland, Oregon) Robert 

 W. Haines, Baker City, Oregon. Fred 

 H. Andrus, Elkton, Oregon. Guy Stry- 

 ker, Milwaukee, Oregon, Elias F. Had- 

 ley, Dayton, Oregon. The committee 

 is well distributed geographically while 

 its effeciency is beyond question. 



The 1897 Literary and Museum com- 

 mittee is made up as follows: Herman 

 T. Bohlman, ofjPortland, chairman; A. 

 B. Averill, of Portland; George D.Peck, 

 of Salem. This committee has a heavy 

 share of responsibility, as the proper 

 classification of specimens sent it for 



identification is only one branch of its 

 manifold labors. 



The membership committee appoint- 

 ments were: Arthur L. Pope, of Salem, 

 chairman. D. Franklin Weeks of Port- 

 land. Hervey M. Hoskins, of New berg, 

 Oregon. The committee has been es- 

 pecially instructed to employ due dis- 

 cretion and select only active conscien- 

 tious workers. Quality and not num- 

 bers is their watch-word. The dues 

 have been placed so low that they have 

 no fear of not being able to enlist all 

 the active students of bird life in the 

 Northwest. 



The society intends that no unscienti- 

 fic or untruthful statements shall eman- 

 ate from it. To preserve this high 

 standard an editor was appointed to 

 supervise all reports and papers which 

 are published by the association in its 

 official organ. Of course, for anything 

 published independently by a member 

 of the club, it cannot hold itself respon- 

 sible. Our former secretary, Arthur L. 

 Pope, was appointed to this responsible 

 position. 



The English Sparrow pest has not a 

 very strong hold in this state, 'not hav- 

 ing, as yet, been reported outside of 

 Portland. In this city there may be, at 

 present, in the neighborhood of Jive 

 hundred. Active measures here will at 

 least suppress if not exterminate them. 

 To carry on this work a special com- 

 mittee was appointed composed of: 

 C. F. Pfluger of Portland. W. L. Fin- 

 ley of Portland. Through the agency 

 of the press, they are to arouse public 

 opinion against the pest. This is, in 

 reality, the only lawful way to go about 

 exterminating them. If the owners of 

 the dwellings and business blocks, in 

 and around which they breed, could be 

 enlisted in this work, their total des- 

 truction would be but a matter of a few 

 years. 



The election of officers for the ensu- 

 ing year resulted as follows: President, 

 William L. Finley, of Portland; first 



