The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union 71 



booklet, Dr. R. H. Wolcott came to the University of Ne- 

 braska, enthusiastic in his interest in ornithology and pos- 

 sessed of a comprehensive knowledge of bird life gained 

 through years of field work in Michigan. Mostly through 

 his influence an informal organization known as the "Lincoln 

 Bird Club" came into existence. The writer remembers that 

 the club had semi-monthly meetings at which matters of in- 

 terest concerning birds were discussed and migration notes 

 compared. At about the same time a similar club was organ- 

 ized in Omaha under the leadership of L S. Trostler. In the 

 spring of 1899 committees from these two bird clubs began 

 negotiations for consolidation as a state organization, witii 

 the result that on December 26, 1899, the Nebraska Orni- 

 thologists' Union was formally organized and held its first 

 meeting at Lincoln. 



The progress of ornithology in Nebraska from this time 

 forth has been almost wholly identified with this organiza- 

 tion. The second meeting was held at Omaha, January 12, 

 ]901, and the six subsequent meetings were held in Decem- 

 ber or January at either Lincoln or Omaha. Beginning in 

 1903, an annual field day was held in May in addition to the 

 winter program meeting until the two sessions were combined 

 on the May date in 1908, which has since been the regular 

 time of meeting. Altogether, seventeen program meetings 

 and fourteen field days have been held. The composite lists 

 of the field parties on some of these excursions have been as 

 follows: Lincoln, 104, 103, 94, 91, 85; Omaha, 79, 78, 76, 

 75 ; Peru, 75 ; Weeping Water, 93 ; and Dunbar, 69. 



The publications of the N. O. U. have been in the form of 

 " Proceedings," of which volume 1 (44 pp.) was issued in 

 1900, volume 2 (101 pp.) in 1901, and volume 3 (108 pp.) 

 in 1902. The financial resources of the society not proving 

 adequate to continue publication on this scale, in 1908 and 

 1909 the publication of volume 4 was accomplished in two 

 parts (55 pp.), in 1910-1913 that of volume 5 in five parts 

 (104 pp.), while volume 6 was completed in 1915 in three 

 parts (68 pp.). These six volumes, with their indexes, in- 



