44 



recognized subspecies, illustrating the plumage differences of 

 the various forms with a complete series of skins, and showing 

 the range of each bird by means of maps. 



Discussion by several members and examination of the speci- 

 mens followed the paper. 



May 10, 1910. — The President in the chair. Thirty-one 

 members and visitors present. 



Mr. C. G. Abbott reported an unusually early breeding of the 

 Cardinal {Cardinalis cardinalis) in Central Park, for on April 

 30 he had seen the parents feeding young birds already out of 

 the nest. 



As another instance of early nesting, Mr. Francis Harper 

 reported a Blue Jay's {Cyanocitta cristata) nest, with five eggs^ 

 found on May 1 in the Half Hollow Hills, Suffolk County, L. I. 



Mr. P. B. Philipp recorded a Red-shouldered Hawk's {Buteo 

 lineatus) nest, with two incubated eggs, on April 2, at Newton, 

 N. J.; a Sparrow Hawk's {Falco sparverius) nest, with five eggs 

 ready to hatch, on April 10, at Summit, N. J. ; and a Cooper's 

 Hawk's {Accipiter cooperi) nest, with four eggs, on May 7, at 

 Summit, N. J. 



The first paper of the evening was by Mr. B. S. Bowdish, 

 and was entitled ''Photographic Odds and Ends." Mr. Bow- 

 dish exhibited several dozen lantern slides which had not been 

 shown previously before the Society, and which included scenes 

 of bird fife in the Pocono Mountains, Pa., along the upper 

 Hackensack River, N. J., and in the vicinity of the speaker's 

 home at Demarest, N. J. Of especial interest were the pictures 

 of the bird patrons of a winter lunch counter at Demarest, 

 among which were the Purple Finch {Carpodacus purpureus), 

 Junco (Junco hyemalis), White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta caro- 

 linensis), and the inevitable House Sparrow {Passer domesticus) . 



Under the title of ''Origin and History of Taxidermy," Mr. 

 J. D. Figgins, chief of the preparation department of the Mu- 

 seum, gave a brief sketch of the development of the art from 

 crude picture writings and rock carvings to the present plaster- 

 model process, as employed at the American Museum of Natural 

 History. He also exhibited a number of interesting slides 

 illustrating various methods of taxidermy. 



