Jan., 1907 



MINUTES 



31 



pigeon. The origin of the barred wing-pattern 

 is thought to have been from the uniformly 

 checkered style. Both patterns, b)' the wa}', 

 occur among domestic pigeons ! 



Several sources of evidence are adduced to 

 lead to this conclusion. One is that different 

 wings (of Cohnnba livia) may be arranged so 

 as to show uninterrupted gradation from one 

 extreme to the other. Another source of evi- 

 dence is obtained by comparing in a similar 

 way different wild species. We venture to sug- 

 gest that neither of these sources of evidence 

 show anything as to the direction of variation 

 thni time; and this, it seems to us, would be 

 the crucial point to be proven. 



Another source of evidence is based upon the 

 axiomatically-accepted idea that the male 

 plumage is the most specialized (farthest 

 evolved), the female next, and the juvenal least 

 (that is, most primitive). This sequence, ap- 

 parently in harmou}^ with the orthogenetic 

 theory, is shown in the wing-patterns of nianv 

 wild species of pigeons, and Professor Whit- 

 man places much value upon this as indicating 

 the direction of the development of the char- 

 acters. 



But we would object that it seems just as 

 clear, in a great many species of birds, that the 

 juvenal plumage is the specialized one (for the 

 sake of protection), the female often as much, 

 or nearly as much, specialized (and for a similar 

 reason), and the male, therefore, the most gen- 

 eralized! This reverse theory accords better 

 with the demands for survival, and would 

 therefore be explainable by natural selection. 

 There are many adaptive structures in the 

 young, lost in the adult because useless; for in- 

 stance, the calcareous nodule on the tip of the 

 chick's bill. Ontogeu}- does not repeat phylo- 

 geny in every detail. 



The best point in proof of the theory of 

 orthogenesis was obtained thru the breeding 

 and selection of tame pigeons. It was found 

 that artificial selection could accomplish the 

 reduction of the number of checkers, but would 

 never lead from bars to checkers. The author 

 concludes from this that "the direction of evo- 

 lution can never be reversed." Hence the 

 direction of evolution in the present case is 

 from the checkered pattern towards the barred. 

 As there seems to be no significance at present 

 for these markings (either directive or protect- 

 ive), they appear to the author to exhibit an 

 instance of orthogenesis. We must confess 

 that, while we do see several such cases of 

 traits exhibited in progressive series (if properly 

 arranged), we do not clearly see evidence of an 

 active variation thru time in any one direction. 



We are pleased to remark that Professor 

 Whitman, after careful consideration, concedes 

 but little probability to the frequent occurrence 

 of mutations, according to the theories upheld 



by Hugo de Vries. Mutation, the abrupt ap- 

 pearance of new species without gradual suc- 

 cessive and continuous transitional stages, 

 must be rare among birds, if it occurs at all. 



However, we cannot here take space to carry 

 on a discussion of the problem of the origin of 

 species, which is still the greatest problem in 

 biology. What a field there is in ornithology 

 for the student of evolution ! The very fact 

 that birds have been so thoroly worked sys- 

 tematically and geographically is all the more 

 reason why this is a particularly advantageous 

 field for such studies. And yet we hear of 

 young men at college being advised to direct 

 themselves to investigation in any other group 

 than birds: "Birds are too well worked"'— 

 J. G. 



MINUTKS OF COOPER CLUB MEETINGS 



NORTHRRN DIVISION 



November.— The Club met November 24, 

 1906, in the Barbara Jordan Library of Orni- 

 thology at Stanford University, California. 



Vice-president Fisher occupied the chair. 

 The minutes of the previous meeting were read 

 and approved. The following proposals for 

 membership were made: John W. Martin, 339 

 N. First St., San Jose, Cal., by D. A. Cohen; 

 Miss Flora A. Randolf, 1706 Walnut St., Berke- 

 ley, Cal., by D. A. Cohen; Prof. O. P. Jenkins, 

 Stanford University, Cal., by FI. O. Jenkins. 



The following were elected to active mem- 

 bership: Chas. Reining, 6or Webster St., Palo 

 Alto, Cal.; F. W. Weymouth, 326 f^ytton Ave., 

 Palo Alto, Cal.; John E. Thayer, Lancaster, 

 Mass.; Henry F. Duprey, 919 Morgan St., Santa 

 Rosa, Cal. 



Nominations for officers for 1907 were made 

 as follows: President, Dr. F\ W. D'Evelyn; 

 senior vice-president, Bertha L. Chapman; 

 junior vice-president, Rollo H. Beck; treasurer, 

 H. T. Clifton; secretary, H. O. Jenkins. 



The program was now taken up. Prof. V. L. 

 Kellogg favored the Club with an interesting 

 resume of his forth-coming work on the Mallo- 

 phaga, touching particularly on the peculiar 

 distribution and habits, and the resulting for- 

 mation of species, of these external bird para- 

 sites. N. K. Carpenter read a paper entitled, 

 "A Season with the Pacific Horned Owl", and 

 brought out some very interesting facts in re- 

 gard to the life history of this bird. 



Mrs. Park then spoke to the Club concerning 

 the passage of a Bird and Arbor Day Bill in the 

 California Legislature. Thereupon the follow- 

 ing resolutions were adopted: 



Whereas it has come to tlie knowledge of the Cooper 

 Ornithological Club that an effort will be made to estab- 

 lish in the State of California, by act of Legislature, a 

 Bird and Arbor Day, to be observed by the Public School 

 children; and 



Whereas, the observance of th}s day is not to be made 



