34 



Mj. Weber spoke on the structure and action of the outer 

 tail-feathers in Gallinago. By means of a simple apparatus 

 he whirled an outer tail-feather of a Common Snipe {G. gallinago) 

 swiftly through the air, and when this was done with the 

 feather held at the correct angle, the characteristic '' bleating" 

 or ''winnowing" of the bird was heard, caused by the action of 

 the air on the vane, which the speaker showed to be peculiarly 

 stiffened. Among other experiments were ones that showed the 

 same structure in our Wilson's Snipe {G. delicata) and its 

 absence in such a nearly related genus as the Dowitchers 

 (Macrorhamphus) . 



Mr. J. M. Johnson spoke on the birds seen by him on a horse- 

 back trip through Yellowstone Park last summer. He showed 

 specimens of many species, especially of those unfamihar to 

 Easterners, and spoke of their distinguishing marks and habits. 



November 24, 1914- — The President in the chair. Ten mem- 

 bers and eighteen visitors present. 



The Committee on Papers and Lectures reported that for 

 Mr. Cleaves' s proposed exhibition of motion pictures the Mu- 

 seum's auditorium could be secured on Wednesday evening, 

 December 9 (but not on our regular meeting day, Tuesday 

 the 8th), for the cost, not much exceeding fifteen dollars, of 

 the operator and attendants. It was voted that the auditorium 

 be so secured, and that the meeting scheduled for the previous 

 day be omitted. 



Mr. J. M. Johnson reported that a Coot {Fulica americana) 

 had been seen on the Lake in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, on 

 November 15, and that he had seen it on the 22d. It was so 

 tame that it allowed an approach up to ten feet. 



Mr. Rogers recorded finding a Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 

 in Van Cortlandt Park November 22, in the same spot where the 

 Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) had been last winter. 

 He had seen also a covey of Bob-white {Colinus v. virginianus), 

 the first he had heard of in the Park since he had found eight 

 dead on March 2L Dr. Wiegmann said he had counted nine- 

 teen in this new covey. 



The paper of the evening was on ''Collecting in Costa Rica 

 for the New York Zoo," by Mr. Lee S. Crandall. Mr. Crandall 



