OF ART.S AND SCIENCES. 75 



Mr. Herbert Richardson and Mrs. Varick were appointed to 

 prepare the calendar for the next meeting. 



The members gave their attention to a paper by Miss Amelia 

 Graupner on " The Food Habits of Birds." The subject was 

 considered from the economic standpoint and was illustrated by 

 a carefully prepared chart showing the per cent of animal and 

 .vegetable food in the diet of birds. The paper was divided into 

 the following sections: ist. The paramount service of birds 

 lies in their power to destroy insects. 2d. Many species per- 

 form an inestimable service by destroying the seeds of harmful 

 plants. 3d.. Birds do not naturally select the products of cul- 

 tivation for food, but prefer the food supplied by wild plants. 

 .It is only when deprived of their natural food supply that thej^ 

 attack the fruits of garden or orchard. 



Adjourned to March 21. 



Wednesday evening, March 21. Regular meeting ; number 

 of members present, 14. 



Miss Theodora Richardson, having been appointed by the 

 Council as Instructor in Ornithology for the Summer School, 

 gave notice of a field meeting to be held at Auburn on the 31st 

 day of March. 



The calendar was presented by Mr. Richardson. A paper was 

 read by Miss Mary F. Dana on the "• Theorj^ of Migration of 

 Birds." Following is an abstract: 



- Birds are divided into three classes : Those which arrive in 

 spring and remain through the summer; those which arrive in 

 the fall and remain through the winter ; those which are with 

 us but twice a j'-ear and are called birds of passage. Besides 

 these are the partial migrants and the permanent residents, the 

 latter changing their location more or less as the necessities of 

 food supply or of incubation may decide. 



Several theories of the cause of migration were considered, 

 such as variations in temperature, scarcity of food supply, geo- 

 logic and climatic changes and the selection of safe breeding 

 places. To sum up — the mj'-sterious phenomena and the mar- 

 velous powers of the bird world are by most students brought 

 to rest upon the foundation of practice, habit and the survival 



