January 12, 1897. — The Vice-President in the chair. Seven 

 members and six visitors present. 



Miss E. A. Foster was elected a Resident Member of the 

 Society. 



Mr. William Dutcher read an autograph letter from Audu- 

 bon, dated Edinburgh, June 19, 1838. It contained many 

 matters of ornithological interest. 



In the absence of the author, Mr. F. M. Chapman read a 

 paper by Dr. Juan Vilaro, entitled ' ' Hybridism Among Cuban 

 Gallinae. ' ' The paper treated particularly of hybrids between 

 the Guinea Fowl {Nuniida meleagris) and the common domes- 

 tic fowl of Cuba {Gallus bankiva). Four mounted specimens 

 of these hybrids were shown. [See Bull Am. Mus. Nat. 

 Hist., IX, pp. 225-230, pll. xxv and xxvi.] 



January 14, 1897. — Public lecture in the lecture hall of the 

 American Museum of Natural History, by William I,ibbey,Sc.D. 

 entitled "Four Months in the Sierra Madre of Mexico," 

 with stereopticon illustrations. 



January 26, 1897. — The Vice-President in the chair. Eleven 

 members and twenty-two visitors present. 



Mr. S. Nicholson Kane was elected a Resident Member of 

 the Society. 



Mr. R. L,. Ditmars presented a paper entitled ' ' Notes on 

 the Breeding of Viperine Snakes in Captivity." Mr. Ditmars 

 had successfully raised broods of the Water Moccasin {Agkis- 

 trodon piscivorus), the Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), 

 and the Rattlesnake ( Crotalus horridus). The paper was illus- 

 trated by living specimens. 



Mr. G. R. O'Reilly gave an account of " How Snakes Find 

 their Prey," his remarks being based upon his own experiences 

 with snakes in South Africa, the Island of Trinidad, Venezuela, 

 and New Jersey. Mr. O'Reilly exhibited the following living 

 snakes : three Tree Boas {Co rallies cookei), a young Boa Con- 

 strictor {Boa constrictor) , a Black Snake [Bascanion constrictor), 

 and two specimens of Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix). 



February 9, 1897. — The President in the chair. Ten mem- 

 bers present. 



J. A. Allen, Ph. D., presented remarks on "Some Mammals 



