February 1st, 1918. The Estate of Hon. Rowland G. Hazard, of Peace Dale, R. I., 

 announces the settlement, by bequest, of the Hazard Collection of birds' eggs upon 

 the Museum of Comparative Oology. The collection will be left in situ until a 

 special building can be prepared for it. 



March 27, 1918. Presentation by Mrs. Mary P. B. Hazard (Mrs. Rowland G.) of the 

 Boyce Collection, containing some good material from Alaska, and a notable albino 

 set of the Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus). 



March-April, 1918. The trips to Santa Cruz Island, undertaken by two of our younger 

 members, constituted the sole field work carried on by the staff. 



July, 1918. A special collector, John M. Davis, turns in ninety sets with nests "taken 

 on the side" during the past season. 



September 14, 1918. Our good friend, Mr. Rowland Archer, remembers us with 43 

 more sets from Australia, of which fourteen with nests. This lot contains a prized 

 egg of the Lyre Bird (Menura superba). 



January 1, 1919. Accessions at this time number 164 Clots'), besides a thousand bird 

 skins not yet accessioned. 



January 18, 1919. Completion of case installations. The two buildings of temporary 

 quarters chock-a-block with cabinets, 24 in number. 



January 19, 1919. Fourth Annual Meeting. Resignations of William Norman Campbell 

 and Mrs. Ednah Rich Morse (of Boston) accepted with expressions of regret. 

 Messrs. J. R. Pemberton, Cadwallader Washburn, and Frank C. Willard elected 

 to Board of Trustees. Owing to absence of Colonel J. R. Fithian on service in 

 France, our faithful president was elected vice-president, and Mi?. E. P. Ripley 

 graciously consented to assume the presidency. Messrs. W. Leon Dawson, Frank 

 C. Willard and Rowland G. Hazard were elected Fellows, the last named, propter 

 obitum, as of January 1st, 1918. Instructions were issued for the founding of an 

 order of Members, which should constitute a local supporting and beneficiary body. 



January 25, 1919. Exchange gift by Trustee J. R. Pemberton of a fine lot of material, 

 42 sets collected by him in Patagonia. This lot includes such rarities as Rhea 

 darwini (pennata) 1/16; Tachyeres cinereus (Steamer Duck) 1/7; Theristicus 

 melanopsis 1/3; Polyborus plancus 1/2, etc. 



February 24, 1919. Receipt of series material, thirty-two species, sixty sets, choice of 

 over 1000 sets, from model Eastern Collector, Lieut. Richard C. Harlow. 



February 27, 1919. Founding of order of Members of the Museum of Comparative 

 Oology. 



To the Scientific Collector of Birds' Eggs 



Altho the M. C. O. has done very little publicity work heretofore, this being in a 

 sense our official bow, most collectors are already aware that there has been established 

 at Santa Barbara a unique institution, dedicated to the scientific public, and having for 

 its chief purpose the development and exploitation of the unconquerable human interest 

 in birds' eggs. Never was a constructive idea so fanciful-seeming yet so workable-; so 

 "impractical" yet so fraught with promise of shedding important light upon the paths 

 of animal evolution. The founding of this institution and the statement of its purposes 

 constitutes a challenge to all egg collectors to take their work seriously, to exploit the 

 scientific value of birds' eggs as well as their recognized beauties, and to turn the 

 trophies of pleasant hours afield to actual human account. 



Although only a little more than three years old, this institution, thanks to the dis- 

 cerning generosity of interested friends, boasts the best-equipped as well as the numeri- 

 cally largest collection of birds' eggs west of the Mississippi River, and the largest col- 

 lection of birds' nests in America. But this is only a beginning. We aspire to become 

 not merely the largest but the most useful institution of its kind in the world: 



Before we set forth in detail how we hope to accomplish this, allow me to remind 

 you that this is your museum. It is dedicated to the public, and you are that public, at 

 least the most interested portion of it. Our collections, our halls, our researches, our 

 system of cooperation, are all for your benefit. The managers of the Museum oi Com- 

 parative Oology are mere custodians and administrators of the common possession, the 

 funded contributions of a virtual Suciet) of Cooperating Oologi I Unlimited. It's 



Page thirty-two 



