with interest, and considering that the work 
is in charge ofa competent State Committee 
it would seem that its success is assured. 
In this connection I would refer to a letter 
recently received from Mr. Anthony in 
which he suggests that so far as possible in 
preparing the county lists, a map be also 
arranged to show the faunal areas and 
elevations of each county. 
‘“*The Cooper Club has done much to 
bring together and acquaint with each other 
the Ornithologists of the state and this has 
made mutual work possible. The stated 
meetings of the Northern and Southern 
Divisions act as centers of Ornithological 
interest in the state, and members of the 
Club-at-Large have grown to feel that they 
are welcome at the meetings wherever held. 
A fraternal feeling of this nature can do 
much to promote a general interest in any 
line of work the Club may take up. Har- 
mony in the Club has at all times prevailed 
—a state of affairs very necessary to the 
life and welfare of an organization such 
as ours. Matters of importance requiring 
discussion have always been pleasantly ad- 
justed to the satisfaction of all and in many 
wiys our members have at all times attested 
their loyalty to the Club and itscause. We 
are happily free from cliques, and governed 
by our own council have built up an associ- 
ation of which we may well feel proud. 
“‘At the present time I think we may 
safely estimate that we have enrolled as 
members of the Cooper Ornithological Club 
two-thirds of the working Ornithologists of 
California. Our membership at present 
numbers 67, showing a gain of 1o new 
members for the year past, which is good 
considering that a large majority of the 
Ornithologists of thestate were enrolled at 
the beginning of the year. There are 41 
members in the Northern Division and 26 
in the Southern Division, considering 
Tehachapi the dividing line. “It is fortu- 
nate that in both division there are mem- 
bers sufficiently grouped together to permit 
of a good attendance at the monthly meet- 
ings as.a rule. The year of 1896 has found 
the Club better organized and doing a better 
work than ever before, and a good share of 
our advancement has been dueto the inter- 
est and energy of our President, Mr. Bryant. 
With the dawn of a new year let us hope 
that the Club may continue its researches 
with greater success than ever, which will 
‘be possible if each member will realize his 
individual responsibility to the Club.”’ 
THE NIDOLOGIST Pe 
Henry W. Carriger of Sonoma read an 
interesting paper on 
Habits of the Red-Bellied Hawk. 
“In the year 1888 I was collecting with 
a compunion along a creek in the valley, 
when a large bird flew from a nest about 
forty feet up in a large white oak sapling. 
I got but a glimpse of the bird as it left the 
nest, but thought nothing of this, as in 
those days the eggs were the primary 
object and identity only a secondary con- 
sideration. Being a novice in the art of 
climbing it was fully five minutes before I 
reached the limbs under the nest. After 
resting afew seconds, I looked into the 
nest and there lay fourlargeeggs. Hawk’s 
eggs were then unknown to me and I felt 
as elated as if I had discovered a gold 
mine. How to get those eggs to the 
ground was the next question. After 
several attempts I reached the ground in 
safety with one} specimen,'the other three 
being brokeu on my way down. I suc- 
ceeded in blowing this specimen and now 
began to think of a name for it. My Orni- 
thological library consisted of some lists of 
birds of the United States and when I 
reached home I started to read over the 
list. When I reached the Cooper’s Hawk, 
my companion who was near by, cried, 
‘‘That’s the bird!’’ He concluded that 
since the nest was found on the farm of a 
man by the name of Cooper, that was 
surely the name of the owner of our egg. 
I differed with my friend, but having no 
description of the bird I gave up the 
search. Next day I was in the locality 
with a field glass and got a minute deserip- 
tion of the bird, which was afterward 
identified by a friend. Thus I became 
acquainted with the Red-bellied Hawk. 
‘‘Since then I have seen considersble of 
this bird and have become somewhat 
familiar with its habits, especially during 
the nesting season. My observations were 
taken in Sonoma valley, which is sur- 
rounded by foothills, and through which 
the Sonoma river flows. One pair of birds 
is located in a pasture field grown up to 
white oaks, where they can be found almost 
every day in the year. ‘The second pair is 
located in adry creek bed, where there are 
numerous large oaks and other trees. My 
observations lead me to believe that the 
birds remain mated the year round, and 
along about the first of the year they begin 
to get a little restless, and can often be seen 
