that is, that members pay their dues, if they care to, in oological material. An annual 

 contribution of eggs, or nests and eggs, may be a very real contribution to the common 

 fund. This will be meeting us halt way, and it will support our co-operative claims. 

 Indeed, the editor cannot think of a fairer, or more feasible, or more professional basis 

 of co-operation for the Members of the M. C. O. than is offered by an annual contribu- 

 tion of material. The only reason we do not make this the exclusive basis of mem- 

 bership is that many will find it easier to pay cash. 



Those who elect to pay their annual dues in eggs are asked to bear in mind two 

 or three considerations. The contribution ought, if possible, to bear the stamp of your 

 own personality. A personally taken nest, or a group of nests and eggs taken by a 

 collector working under your personal supervision, will be most acceptable. It will 

 express you and emphasize your connection with us. Again, if you have something 

 out of the ordinary, a nest (always with eggs; of rare workmanship, a "variety" set, 

 a "freak" set, which finds its value only by taking place in a large series, such a fee- 

 gift will be most appropriate as your contribution to the cosmopolitan cabinets of the 

 M. C. O. It is perhaps fair to say that a material contribution, if it has to be closely 

 valued as a fee, should be appraised as "half list," since it is in lieu of cash. But we 

 want, if possible, to put the member dues on an entirely different plane of effort. 

 They should be judged as a contribution to science as well as an offering for the 

 common good, and not at all at "catalog rates." For this reason and to promote 

 fellowship, we are going to ask the privilege of publishing year by year an exact 

 description of each member fee. This will be fair to all and it will have a manifest 

 tendency to keep the standard of co-operation high. 



For example, a box just to hand and still unopened (think of it! but this article 

 must be written first), comes from our friend, J. G. Gordon, of Corsemalzie. It 

 purports to contain a series of six sets of the Redshank, Totanus totanus, six sets of 

 the British Ringed Flover, Charadnus hiaticula major, and six sets of the Oyster- 

 catcher, Haematopus ostralegus ostralegus, including two sets of four eggs each— 

 a handsome accession indeed! It is a "contribution,' unspecified as to relations, but 

 if we can screw up our courage, we are going to ask Mr. Gordon to regard this as 

 his member contribution lor l920. And it he consents, then it will be "up to" his 

 neighbor, Mr. William Mair, of Ayrshire, who writes us that he has eight species of 

 Shore-birds breeding on his farm. Think of us poor Americanos, whose proudest 

 local boast is often Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) or Killdeer (Oxychus vocifems) ! 

 And of course the writer has been sounding this thing out a little by correspond- 

 ence, because he wouldn't dare make a fluke at the kick-off. The response is most 

 satisfactory. The Members of the Museum of Comparative Oology is an assured 

 fact. The following are the names of the first twenty-five applicants for member- 

 ship in the M. M. G. O., a sufficient earnest in themselves of the success which we 

 anticipate: 



Harry Harris T. P. Austin, Australia 



Henry L. White, Australia B. C. J. Bettington, Australia 



Richard C. Harlow Edward E. Armstrong- 



John E. Thayer John R. Pemberton 



Professor Lynds Jones Gilbert R. Rossignol 



A. C. Bent Gerard Alan Abbott 



R. Magoon Barnes Guy Love 



R. P. Sharpless Wm. Mair, Scotland 



Dr. B. R. Bales Geo. M. Ward 



Nat A. Francis Philip C. Dutton, England 



Jack G. Gordon, Scotland Professor Wm. B. Kirkham 



W. H. Workman, Ireland Donald R. Dickey 



A. Brazier Howell 



A general invitation is hereby extended to all bird-lovers, to all collectors of 

 birds' eggs, to all students of oological science, and to all well-wishers of the Museum 

 of Comparative Oology, to present your names and those of your friends for member- 

 ship in the new organization, the Members of the Museum of Comparative Oology. 

 These applications must, of course, be acted upon by our membership committee, 

 but it is our intention to deal very liberally at the outset, and to admit every candi- 

 date save those few whose professional conduct has been unsatisfactory, or against 

 whom charges have been preferred. Moreover, this number of the Journal is being 

 sent only to carefully selected names, and the receipt of this copy is tantamount to 

 a personal invitation. Lest this policy may not seem sufficiently discriminating, we 

 hasten to add that the classes of Collector Members and Exchange Members, to be 

 later distinguished, will be asked to meet more discriminating tests, as, for example, 

 endorsement by two well-known scientists, or men personally known to the manage- 

 ment of the M. C. O. It is not intended to make of the Collector Members and the 

 Exchange Members a more exalted rank within the order, but only to ask of candi- 

 dates for these more active relations such evidences of scientific accuracy and business 

 responsibility as will justify our institutional endorsement. 



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