NEW OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES 



At the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Comparative 

 Oology, held January 18th, 1921, three new trustees were unanimously elected. In Mr. James 

 Marwick (late of Marwick and Mitchell, New York City), who was elected to the presidency, 

 the Museum has found a man of affairs and of social address who, though not acquainted with 

 the technical side of oology, nevertheless realizes its value in science, and the usefulness of the 

 Museum in the civic life of Santa Barbara. His task is not an easy one, but we feel sure that the 

 mantle of our late lamented President Ripley will become him. Mrs. Anne Stow-Fitian, a sister- 

 in-law of our first president, is not only a recognized social leader in this metropolis of busy leisure, 

 but she has served the civic interests of the community with distinction, and is at the present time 

 president of the Visiting Nurses Association. Mr. Ralph Hoffmann, author of "A Guide to 

 the Birds of New England and Eastern New York" and various other scientific works, needs no 

 introduction to ornithologists. Santa Barbara counts herself fortunate in having been chosen 

 as the scene of Mr. Hoffmann's future labors; and it was but natural that the Museum should 

 have won his early allegiance. 



Miss Caroline Hazard, one-time president of Wellesley College, and closely identified with 

 our work since the death of her brother, Rowland G. Hazard, graciously accepted the vice-presi- 

 dency, at a subsequent meeting of the Board; and she has played a close second to President Mar- 

 wick's able lead. Hon. Myron T. Herrick, recently reappointed Ambassador to France, and 

 Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, President of Columbia University, both winter visitors to Santa 

 Barbara, have accepted the office of Honorary Vice-President. Under such distinguished sponsor- 

 ship, we feel sure of at least a patient hearing for the cause of oology; and the friends of the insti- 

 tution may feel confident that our ambitious aims will be steadfastly realized. 



MUSEUM ACTIVITIES 



The field activities of the Museum staff for the current season were narrowed down to two 

 weeks spent in the Mammoth Lakes section of southern Mono County. The director and two 

 assistants were accompanied by Henry Ward Carriger, of Oakland, and the presence of this 

 veteran bird-nester of the Sierras assured a full bag, in spite of the fact that an unseasonable storm 

 broke the season square in two. 



On account of late snows, the heaviest in five years, the main party found itself too early for 

 "Leucos"; but Assistant William Oberlin Dawson, with two volunteers, remained three weeks at 

 the higher levels and brought in a gratifying assortment of the coveted eggs. 



A museum sometimes has its own reasons for modesty, but we are now prepared to admit thae 

 two successful seasons in the high Sierras (after years of failure) have yielded us twelve of tht 

 fourteen sets of the Sierra Nevada Rosy Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis dawsoni) known to science. 



A full account of the nesting habits of this, perhaps the most inaccessible of American 

 breeding birds, will be prepared for the initial number of The Comparative Oologist. 



Another leading feature of The Comparative Oologist will be an account of the nesting habits 

 of the Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) by the well-known specialist, Rev. P. B. Peabody. 

 Dr. Peabody secured a handsome set, n-8, of this species for the M. C. O. this season. 



Owing to the generosity of Judge Charles F. Belcher, now Attorney-general of the Nyasaland 

 Protectorate, the M. C. O. has been able to secure upon very liberal terms his valuable collection 

 of African birds' eggs. This collection comprises well over a thousand sets, and represents five 

 years of exceptional opportunity at Entebbe in Uganda (just under the Equator), with side 

 trips to the Mombasa region, Natal, and Cape Colony. The collection, which has now been 

 unpacked in Santa Barbara, proves to be especially rich in eggs of the Nectariniidae and the 

 Ploceidae, and contains, besides, type sets of six or seven species. We hope to present later a 

 brief account of outstanding features of interest to northern amateurs. 



Our representative in China, Rev. Harry R. Caldwell, reports an exceptionally interesting 

 season. Heavy rains with attendant floods, which kept the natives indoors, released this ardent 

 missionary-oologist, and he hustled about in the pouring rain "making (oological) hay while the 

 sun shone." Two paragraphs in his always interesting correspondence, demand presentation: 



"I have had great difficulty in getting Hirundo guttularis, Eastern House-Swallow, and could 

 not do so until I incidentally alluded to the fact that even our Chinese Christians still often 

 cling to certain superstitions of the heathen, saying, 'Take, for instance, the matter of the swallow 

 building in your home. You still look upon this as an omen of good luck and happiness. 

 I cannot even secure a set of swallow eggs for a museum in America.' You should have seen 

 what happened. Shortly after the close of the service Christian people brought to me everything 

 from one egg to full sets almost ready to hatch. Well, I succeeded in getting you some eggs, 

 but it was the only way I could do it." 



"The Violet Whistling Thrush eggs (Miophoneus coeruleus) are the first I have been able to 

 take since the spring of 1900. I found one set that year, but have been outwitted right through 

 the years until this year, when I succeeded in taking two sets. The Great Spotted Forktail 

 has always evaded me until a few weeks ago. I will have two sets of these for you if all goes well, 



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