9 



There was no paper for the evening, so the remaining time 

 was taken up by a general discussion of summer and recent 

 field experiences. 



Mr. Johnson read a list, with brief comments, of birds he 

 had observed in the mountains of North Carolina near Ashe- 

 ville, with headquarters at 4,250 feet. Crows (Corvus b. 

 hrachyrhynchus) he had found very scarce, not more than five 

 all told. House Sparrows (Passer d. domesticus) were in evi- 

 dence even at the most remote mountain hamlets. Carolina 

 Juncos (Junco hyemalis carolinensis) , a form noticeably hand- 

 somer than ours (J. h. hyemalis), were exceedingly abundant 

 even on the summit of Mt. Mitchel. Cairns's Warblers 

 (Dendroica ccerulescens cairnsi) — which he could not distinguish 

 in the field from our Black-throated Blue Warbler {D. c. ccendes- 

 cens) — ^were in great abundance. 



Mr. Johnson also reported Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura 

 septentrionalis) in southern Orange County, N. Y., on October 

 12 and 13, two each day. 



Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) were reported by several members 

 as apparently increasing in northern New Jersey and south- 

 eastern New York, owing to the several years' continuous closed 

 season. Mr. Weber told of one man who killed 85 in two 

 days in northern Wisconsin recently, just before such a closed 

 season went into effect. 



Mr. Murphy told of banding birds in the South Atlantic, 

 including several Noddies (Anous stolidus) which he simply 

 picked out of the air as they flew over. He and Mr. Nichols 

 reported seeing a Pigeon Hawk (Falco c. columharius) recently 

 catching dragonflies in its bill, and Mr. Cleaves said he had 

 once seen a Sparrow Hawk {F. s. sparverius) catch one thus, 

 then transfer it to its foot and, still flying, eat it. 



Mr. Nichols had seen a Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) 

 at Mastic, L. I., October 13, when he had found Herring Gulls 

 (Larus argentatus), in unusually great abundance, feeding on 

 Sand Lances (Ammodytes americanus). Fully 75 per cent of 

 the Gulls were immature. There were present also large 

 numbers of Surf (Oidemia perspicillata) and White-winged 

 (0. deglandi) Scoters and a few Gannets {Sula hassana). 



