II 



Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



At the same meeting the secretary announced that he had 

 been authorized by a member of the Association to state that a 

 contribution of $1,000.00 would be forthcoming towards a fund for 

 the purchase of the Billopp House at Tottenville, provided such 

 purchase can be satisfactorily arranged and the balance of the 

 purchase price is secured, and the ownership and control of 

 the property be vested in the Association. 



Members who are interested in zoology will be pleased to 

 hear that the entire collection of reptiles and batrachians has 

 been thoroughly overhauled and arranged so that the specimens 

 are readily accessible for examination and study. Lack of space, 

 however, precludes the possibility of placing them on display in 

 the Museum. 



Incidentally it may be mentioned that four young copper- 

 head snakes have recently been added to our live stock, and that 

 the pine snake, which was for years an interesting feature of our 

 museum, recently died. 



With the temperature dropping regularly to 50 and 48 de- 

 grees during these early October nights we are reminded that 

 later in the month the grape leaves will be curled at the edges 

 and the squash vines blackened by the first frosts. The time 

 will then have arrived for the placing of food for the winter birds. 

 This should not be delayed until the season of severe storms and 

 low temperatures. Winter birds are already here. It is their 

 habit to scout, in bands, for the best foraging grounds and when 

 a fixed food supply (feeding station) is discovered the birds are 

 likely to form the habit of visiting it daily. 



" Wild Bird Guests : How to Entertain Them " is the title 

 of a book by Ernest Harold Baynes (published recently by E. P. 

 Dutton & Co., N. Y.) which gives valuable directions for attract- 

 ing birds the year 'round. Special stress is laid on the import- 

 ance and the joy of supplying rations to the birds during the 

 winter months. H. H. c. 



Since the last issue of the Bulletin accessions to the Museum 

 and Library have been received from George Cromwell, William 

 T. Davis, Joseph Denelfo, J. Blake Hillyer, Arthur Hollick, Miss 

 Agnes von Puttkamer, Carl Winzel. 



