36 



in June of last year and expressing hope for another this year. 

 It was voted to donate fifty dollars to the Association. 



Members who had recently visited the New Jersey part of 

 the Palisades Interstate Park spoke with much feeling of the 

 extensive clearing of underbrush and the smaller tree growth 

 and general formalizing now being carried on. It was voted 

 that a letter be written to the Park Commission, protesting in 

 the strongest terms against the continuation of such work and 

 urging the preservation of the Park in as wild and natural a 

 condition as possible. 



The question was raised as to whether or not the Society 

 should present a medal this year, and if so, to whom, and the 

 members were requested to think the matter over in preparation 

 for a discussion at the next meeting. 



Mr. Rogers stated that Mr. W. DeW. Miller and he had 

 noticed a striking scarcity of Chickadees (Penthestes a. atri- 

 capillus) and Tree Sparrows (Spizella m. monticola) around 

 New York this winter, and asked whether anyone present 

 had found either species in its usual abundance. No one had, 

 and several reported the contrary, but Mr. Cleaves said that 

 Mr. Decker in a twenty-mile walk on Staten Island December 

 20 had counted forty-four Chickadees and a hundred Tree 

 Sparrows. 



The following are the more interesting local records reported : 

 a Crackle {Quiscalus quiscula subsp.) at Englewood De- 

 cember 13 (Nichols); a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus c. 

 calendula) at Englewood November 28 (J. M. Johnson 

 and LaDow) and another in Pelham Bay Park the next 

 day (LaDow and Rogers); a Palm Warbler {Dendroica p. 

 palmarum) at Hicksville, L. L, December 13 (R. C. Murphy 

 and Rogers); a Great Blue Heron (Ardea h. herodias) at Long 

 Beach, L. I., out at sea, at sunset, flying west, rather high, 

 December 20 (J. M. Johnson, W. H. Wiegmann and Rogers). 



Mr. Griscom had been since September at Ithaca, N. Y., 

 and now gave a brief sketch of the autumn bird-life of that 

 vicinity as observed by him. Among the most interesting 

 features were the abundance of the Tennessee Warbler (Vermi- 

 vora peregrina), which was second only to the Red-winged 



