Notes from Field and Study 



355 



summer, they have outnumbered all 

 previous years since I came here to live 

 in" 1876. — (Mrs.) Mary R. Stanley, 

 North Atlleboro, Mass. 



Goldfinches in the Ozarks 



In answer to an inquiry in the May- 

 June issue of Bird-Lore, it may be 

 interesting to the eastern ornithologists 

 to know that in 191 1 there was a great 

 abundance of Goldfinches in the Ozarks 

 of southern Missouri, to the extent that 

 it was commented upon by those usually 

 not interested in birds at all. During the 

 spring of 191 2, however, there have been 

 a scattering few, or none, in this locality. 

 — Amy R. Haight, Brandsville, Mo. 



Chat Nesting in Vermont 



On the afternoon of June 19, 191 2, while 

 walking through a bushy tract amidst 

 some meadows in Bennington, Vt., I was 

 startled by the notes of a bird unfamiliar 

 to me. After chasing about for a few min- 

 utes, I found the author of the song to be 

 a Yellow-breasted Chat. This observation 

 was reported to Dr. L. H. Ross, who 

 visited the place the next morning and 

 verified the report, seeing both the male 

 and the female birds. A little later the 

 same morning, the writer was rewarded 

 by the discovery, in some bushes, of the 

 nest, which contained three young and an 

 egg. In the afternoon, when the nest was 

 visited, the egg was found to be hatched. 

 Daily visits were made to the nest until 

 June 26. By the 30th, all the young birds 

 had flown from the nest into the surround- 

 ing bushes. 



According to the State Ornithologist, 

 this is the first authentic nesting record 

 of the Yellow-breasted Chat in Vermont. 

 The nest is now at the University of Ver- 

 mont Museum. — Charles S. Hitch- 

 cock, Bennington, Vt. 



Intelligence of Crackles 



An interesting thing was noticed 

 repeatedly during the summer. Crackles 



were noticed taking a large piece of dry 

 bread or toast from the feeding-tray. 

 They would carry it to a large crock con- 

 taining water, and then dip it into the 

 water before eating it. One was seen to 

 dip the bread six times before eating it. 

 They did this repeatedly; it was observed 

 on at least ten different days. — Frank 

 W. Aldrich, Bloomington, III. 



Thirtieth Annual Congress of the 

 American Ornithologists' Union 



The Thirtieth Annual Congress of 

 the American Ornithologists' Union was 

 held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, No- 

 vember 11-14, 191 2. At the business 

 meeting of Fellows, held at the Brewster 

 Museum on the evening of the eleventh, 

 the following officers were re-elected: 

 President, Frank M. Chapman; Vice- 

 Presidents, A. K. Fisher, H. W. Henshaw; 

 Secretary, John H. Sage; Treasurer, 

 J. D wight, Jr.; Counselors, Walter Deane, 

 William Dutcher, F. A. Lucas, W. H. 

 Osgood, C. W. Richmond, T. S. Roberts, 

 Witmer Stone. 



The following were elected Fellows: 

 C. William Beebe, Edward Howe Forbush, 

 Louis Agassiz Fuertes. The Members 

 elected were Frederic H. Kennard, John 

 C. Phillips, Miss Althea R. Sherman, 

 Alexander O. Wetmore, Norman A. Wood. 

 There were also elected 184 Associate 

 Members. 



The open sessions of the Congress were 

 held November 12-14 in the University 

 Museum, and were attended by 115 

 members of the Union, and a large number 

 of others interested in the study of 

 birds. 



The members of the Union were enter- 

 tained at luncheon daily by the Nuttall 

 Ornithological Club, and at receptions 

 tendered by Mr. William Brewster and 

 Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Batchelder, while 

 on the fifteenth they were the guests of 

 Mr. and Mrs. John E. Thayer, at Lancaster, 

 where they were given an opportunity to 

 see the admirable museum which Mr. 

 Thayer has established there. 



