13 



of the Virginia Coast Islands," was presented by Mr. Howard 

 H. Cleaves, who gave an admirable account of a trip, lasting 

 from June 25 to July 2, 1911, to the sea-bird colonies of Cobb's, 

 Wreck, and Isaac's Islands. His success in photography, the 

 main object of the trip, was illustrated in the large number 

 of lantern slides, showing Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) in 

 their marsh homes, and Common Terns {Sterna hirundo) and 

 Black Skimmers {Rynchops nigra) on the sandy beaches where 

 they breed. Many interesting notes on the numbers and 

 habits of these birds were given. The slides also included 

 pictures of egging parties, which had collected large numbers 

 of Skimmers' and Terns' eggs for eating purposes. (A report 

 of this trip by Mr. Cleaves appeared in Bird-Lore for 

 November-December, 1911.) 



Discussion followed by Messrs. J. M. Johnson, Harper, 

 Grant, Griscom, Abbott, Weber, and the Chair. 



December 26, 1911. — The President in the chair. Thirteen 

 members and thirty-five visitors present. 



The death on December 16 of Mr. Isaac J. Greenwood, a 

 member of the Society, was announced. 



The Secretary read an interesting letter which he had 

 recently received from Mr. James Chapin, a fellow-member 

 absent on the Congo Expedition of the American Museum of 

 Natural History. 



Mr. W. W. Grant reported seeing two Fox Sparrows 

 {Passer ella i. iliaca) and a Robin {Planesticus m. migratorius) 

 near Englewood, N. J., on December 24. 



Mr. J. A. Weber spoke of having received recently a speci- 

 men of the Gannet {Sula hassana) from Lynnhaven, Va. 



Mr. Alanson Skinner presented a paper on ''The Menomini 

 Indians of Wisconsin." He has spent several summers among 

 this tribe, which has always been on friendly terms with the 

 whites. Some of the tribe have become entirely civiUzed 

 and live in modern dwellings, while others, chiefly old people, 

 cHng to their primitive mode of living in remote parts of the 

 reservation. In Mr. Skinner's opinion, their tribal traditions 

 will not outlive the present generation of old people, and he 

 has therefore made a special study of these traditions. He 



