General Notes 195 



GENERAL NOTES 



TENNESSEE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



October marked the close of the first year's work of this asso- 

 ciation and the results were quite up to expectations. A great 

 deal of field work has been done and; the status of a great many 

 of the rarer birds has been put on a definite basis. Lack of time 

 and opportunities have prevented observations on other species 

 whose distinction is still *|much in question. Local lists have been 

 secured from observers, chiefly in the central part of the state, and 

 revisions and additions to these in future is part of the working 

 plan. Arrangement has been made with the State Department of 

 Fish and Game to finance the publication of several bulletins. A 

 number of new members have , been added during the year and ef- 

 forts have been made to standardize their observations along sys- 

 tematic lines. 



The pleasure and recreation afforded by bird study is being ad- 

 vanced as a substitute for ;the hunting and killing of game birds. 

 Two full page illustrated bulletins to this end have been prepared 

 and published simultaneously in the Sunday editions ,of the lead- 

 ing newspapers of the state. Meetings or outings have been held 

 semi-monthly except during the summer months. Several joint 

 outing trips have been taken to localities which appeared to offer 

 special faunal variations. 



The first annual meeting was held October 20, in Nashville, and 

 the following officers jwere elected: Prof. !A. C. Webb, president; 

 Judge H. T. Hughes, vice-president; Dr. G. R. Mayfield, secretary- 

 treasurer; A. F. Ganier, curator. New members elected at this 

 time were H. A. Cummins, Prof. E. C. Davis, H. E. Myers, J. T. 

 Shaver, Dr. R. M. Strong, and H. S. Vaughn. The curator reported 

 that the study collection of skins, now embracing over one hundred 

 and seventy species of Tennessee birds, was available for the use 

 of the members. The publication of the list of the birds of the 

 state was postponed for a year pending the securing of more 

 definite data on certain species. 



The interest shown by a good percentage of the members of 

 the Society is such that its permanency seems assured. 



A. F. Ganier. 



Nashville, Tenn. 



"INCUBATION PERIOD OP KILLDEER." 



In the September, 1916, number of the Wilson Bulletin, under 

 the above caption, Mr. J. M. Bates describes the nesting of a Kill- 



