26 



a list of ten permanently resident species of birds had been 

 decided on and that blanks would be printed covering these. 



Mr. Rogers exhibited a Gyrfalcon (Hierofalco) recently 

 taken on Fisher's Island, L. I., and discussed the status of the 

 several forms of gyrfalcons, of which he showed specimens. 

 Without having enough time or material to make a decision 

 possible, the speaker- considered it probable that at least in 

 North America there was but one subspecies, varying individu- 

 all}^ from white to fuscous, different phases predominating in 

 different portions of its range. The Long Island specimen was 

 referable to ohsoletus as at present recognized. 



April 25, 1916. — The President in the chair. Fourteen 

 members (Dr. Dwight, Dr. F. M. Chapman and Messrs. Ball, 

 Chapin, Cleaves, Granger, Halter, Hix, HoUister, F. E. John- 

 son, Lang, Marks, Rogers and Weber) and thirty-three visitors 

 present. 



Mr. Rogers recorded an early Parula Warbler {Compsothlypis 

 americana usneoe), a singing male, well seen, along the Rahway 

 River above Millburn, N. J., April 23. 



Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton gave the evening's lecture, on 

 ''Woodcraft in New York City." The speaker took up es- 

 pecially things in the nature of blazes, totems or symbols, 

 sign-language and even customs that are found today in New 

 York and other cities and yet may be traced back to our early 

 civilization, — some, indeed, to the woodcraft — which was then 

 the knowledge of how to exist — of primitive man. Mr. 

 Seton had for several years been making a special study of 

 sign-language and had found no fewer than 150 signs in use 

 among school children, though many of them would answer 

 by a shake of the head the question as to whether they ever 

 used sign-language. He also showed how many of these 

 things were being revived, adapted and made a part of modern 

 industrial life. Blackboard sketches illustrated the talk. 



May 9, 1916. — The President in the chair. Ten members 

 (Dr. Dwight and Messrs. Cleaves, Fleischer, Granger, Hix, 

 Hollister, J. M. Johnson, Marks, J. T. Nichols and Rogers) 

 and twenty-one visitors present. 



The following were the more interesting records reported: 



