JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



our society materially in securing 

 legislation for bird protection. As a 

 society we have never expressed our 

 appreciation of their kindness in com- 

 ing long distances and from engross- 

 ing cares. In my address last year I 

 credited them with no small share of 

 the conception and successful termina- 

 tion of our present statute law re- 

 garding birds. But this does not seem 

 enough and I recommend that Dr. 

 Palmer and Wm. Dutcher be made 

 honorary members. 



Our supply of constitutions has be- 

 come exhausted and the matter print- 

 ed on them is very much out of date. 

 If new ones could be prepared that 

 should embody recent changes, a short 

 review of the bird law, and a brief 

 statement of what has already been 

 accomplished by the society. I believe 

 they would aid in securing new mem- 

 bers'. In connection with this point I 

 would suggest that some action be tak- 

 en in the matter of society stationery. 

 As a preliminary to that we should 

 select some typical Maine bird to be 

 engraved on our publications, letter 

 heads, and envelopes, and submit the 

 scheme to artists for a design. After 

 a design has been selected by the so- 

 ciety, half tone cuts could be procur- 

 ed at moderate cost and used on all 

 our printed matter. In view of the 

 fact that we number among our mem- 

 bers a bird artist second to none I sug- 

 gest that we entrust the whole matter 

 to him, especially since he has a print- 

 ing plant and can do the entire work 

 himself. The design could be placed 

 on badges to be worn during the an- 

 nual meetings and these would add not 

 a little to our distinction at such 

 times. 



The matter of a summer meeting 

 has engaged our attention at differ- 

 ent times but nothing has been ac- 

 complished in this direction. Yet it 

 seems to be the settled conviction of 



most of the members that this could 

 be worked up into an exceedingly val- 

 uable factor of our usefulness. If any- 

 thing is to be done during the summer 

 of 1903, the location and full program 

 for the meeting must be determined up- 

 on at this session. We all plan to 

 have at least one week's outing dur- 

 ing the hot months, and I can conceive 

 of no more agreeable companions than 

 the members of our society, and no 

 more restful occupation than a tramp 

 afield with them under the leadership 

 of any one of our active members dur- 

 ing the early morning hours. A quiet, 

 lounging chat under a broad verandah 

 on a sultry afternoon, and a lecture in 

 the cool of the evening would com- 

 plete for me an ideal day's program, 

 not for one short week only, but for 

 the remainder of my natural life. 



There remains one thing more that 

 I wisn you to consider and I am done. 

 When the present date for our annual 

 meetings was decided upon it seemed 

 that nothing further could be desired 

 upon this question. So many were 

 busy at Christmas time that our at- 

 tendance suffered, and the days im- 

 mediately following Thanksgiving 

 were chosen as the freest from cares 

 for all. But in view of the fact that 

 many of our New England people visit 

 their childhood homes at this time we 

 still find our attendance small. The 

 successful editing of the Journal 

 seems to require that the new editor 

 assume his duties with the new year 

 when the supply of copy is at high 

 tide, and this presupposes our annual 

 meeting in November or December. 

 The latter date has certainly proved 

 a failure. Can the present date be ad- 

 vantageously given up. 



Thanking the members of the socie- 

 ty for the honor they have conferred 

 upon me during the past year and 

 pledging my best endeavors towards 

 the furtherance of the material well be- 



