July, 1907 



MINUTES OF CLUB MEETlNGvS 



117 



was the hour before the meeting was called 

 spent about the grounds under the leadership 

 of Mr. Morcom. Every tree and bush here 

 has its own reason for being, and no two have 

 the same reason, and Mr. Morcom has all these 

 reasons at his tongue's end. But these reasons 

 appealed to us particularly because there was 

 always a bird reason, and usually a bird pres- 

 ent. Birds are princes here. Fed three times 

 a day and never disturbed or frightened, they 

 all know where the "dining room" is, and al- 

 ways have an eye open in that direction. Mr. 

 Morcom will be expected some day to tell the 

 Condor readers some of the "table gossip" of 

 this happy family. While we were near, a 

 beautiful hooded oriole calm]y took possession, 

 much to the disgust of several houses finches, of 

 a partly opened orange which lay on the 

 ground. Leisurely he dipped his bill into the 

 sweets, drank his fill, then sat quietly on the 

 rim, while the finches scolded. Every bird in 

 its season pays its respects at this spread. 



The meeting opened with reading of the 

 minutes of the last meeting, March 28, 1907, 

 which were duly approved. 



Mr. Grinnell read another paper on system 



and simplicity in our nomenclature, with par- 

 ticular reference to the new Check-List, calling 

 attention to the complexity and limitless chang- 

 ing that will be the result of a too rigid ad- 

 herence to the law of priority in names. After 

 all why not adopt a simple up-to-date system of 

 names, based on current usage? 



A very comprehensive paper on the life 

 habits of the Woodhouse Jay in the vicinity of 

 Denver, Colorado, was read by the Secretary 

 in the absence of the author, Mr. Robert B. 

 Rockwell. An exhaustive paper by Prof. Wm. 

 E. Ritter of Berkeley, Cal., on "Ornithology 

 for a Student of Evolutionary Problems" was 

 read by Mr. Grinnell. 



That the birds about Mr. Morcom's home 

 fare well, no one doubts who was part of this 

 meeting which now adjourned to the dining 

 room. A bounteous supper was spread, about 

 which the club lingered, eating, and talking 

 bird lore till long after dark, breaking up only 

 when the long distances home compelled the 

 members to leave. Before going, however, an 

 enthusiastic standing vote of thanks was 

 tendered Mr. Morcom. Adjourned. 



J. Eugene Law, Secretary. 



W. Chamberlain 



J. E. l,aw W. L. Chambers 



H. Robertson 



H. G. Rising 



W. P. Taylor 



Alphonse Jay 



J. Grinnell 



-L,. H. Miller 



M .M. Watson 



H. T. Clifton 



C. E. Cosper 



G. F. Morcom Miss O. S. Tarbell Miss Parker 



Antonin Jay 



SOUTHERN DIVISION COOPER CLUB MEETING AT MR. MORCOM'S 

 RESIDENCE, PASADENA, APRII, 28, iqoy 



Photographed by Mrs. Howard Robertson 



