55 



The business incident to the annual meeting being postponed 

 till after the announced paper of the evening, Mr. Grant took 

 the chair, and Dr. Dwight presented ''Notes on the Moulting 

 and Plumages of Certain Warblers."- In introducing the sub- 

 ject, the speaker called attention to the common neglect of 

 moulting birds on the part of collectors, and especially to the 

 lack of specimens showing the prenuptial moult. He traced 

 the development of plumage, beginning with the natal down, 

 and described the successive moults that take place, speaking 

 with particular reference to the Magnolia {Dendroica magnolia) , 

 Myrtle (D. coronata), and Black-throated Blue Warblers (D. 

 ccerulescens) , and Redstart {Setophaga riiticilla). The paper 

 was illustrated with series of specimens representing each of 

 these four species. 



Mr. David Linnaeus Bennett was elected a resident member 

 of the Society. 



Owing to the absence of the Treasurer, his annual report was 

 not presented. 



The Secretary then read his annual report, as follows : 



"During the past year the Society has held the full quota of sixteen 

 meetings, including a joint meeting with the National Association of 

 Audubon Societies. The total attendance has been 824; the average 

 attendance, 52. The largest attendance at any one meeting was 117 

 members and visitors, and the smallest, 19. The attendance of members, 

 however, has been only about one-fifth of the total, and it is earnestly 

 hoped that this proportion may be increased. 



One new member has been elected during the year; six have resigned, 

 one has been dropped for arrears in dues, and two, Mr. M. H. Beers and 

 Hon. J. Hampden Robb, have been lost by death. 



The membership list now stands: Resident, 101; Corresponding, 28; 

 Honorary, 2; total, 131. 



Twenty-one papers have been presented before the Society, including 

 eleven on ornithology, and others on ichthyology, herpetology, mammalogy, 

 ethnology, etc. Nineteen of the papers were illustrated with lantern 

 slides, four with specimens, and still others with diagrams. 



No publications have been issued by the Society during the past year, 

 but a new Abstract of Proceedings is now in active course of preparation. 



Owing to the fact that no Abstract has been published for several years, 

 the number of exchange publications received has been only six for the past 

 year. 



The Library of the Society has been turned over to the care of the 

 Librarian of the American Museum of Natural History." 



