8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



once more made Philadelphia one of the chief centers of ornitho- 

 logical interest in this country, and has made the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences one of the regular meeting-places for the an- 

 nual convention of the American Ornithologists' Union. 



We would not appear boastful, but it is probably a fact, that 

 at no time in the history of bird study in this country has a 

 body of men been able to keep up so full and persistent a line 

 of investigation of the ornithological conditions of a given region 

 for almost a quarter of a century. 



Not that the Club's work has been confined to the Delaware 

 Valley. Our members have traveled far. They have wandered 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Maine to Florida. 

 Some have explored in Mexico and some have penetrated the 

 frozen north. Others have visited the islands of the sea, or have 

 renewed acquaintance with the birds of history and song in 

 England or on the continent. 



Such journeyings, however, may be looked upon as the indi- 

 vidual efforts of certain men who happen to be members of our 

 organization. Our real club work relates to the region which lies 

 between Cape May and the Delaware Water Gap, or to make it a 

 little broader, to Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. 



Our early efforts were largely devoted to the formation of local 

 lists, especially in connection with the study of the migrations. 

 This has always been an important part of our work, but our 

 outlook soon broadened, and probably one of the great secrets 

 of our success is to be found in the variety of viewpoints dis- 

 played at our meetings. At these a paper or talk by one or 

 more of the members is always prepared in advance and an- 

 nouncement of the subject made by postal. Informal discus- 

 sion follows the reading of papers in which all join freely. Thus 

 our meetings bear on bird study from all sides, and in so doing 

 reflect the personalities of our members. Scientific, popular and 

 aesthetic ornithology are dealt with; art and photography play 

 their part; the literary man and the sportsman are valued contrib- 

 utors to our evening's entertainment. 



And what charming evenings they are which we spend in 

 Stone's snug quarters at the Academy. Outside the world may 

 be white and the winter winds whistling, but within it is cozy 



