876 The American Naturalist. [September 
mating, nesting, etc. Across the top of the chart are blanks for 
recording the curve of temperature variation, the direction and force 
of the wind, and other corellative notes. In addition to these 
individual charts there are ** combined monthly charts,’’ on which the 
notes of all the observers are recorded, followed by private marks 
indicating their various stations. These charts are passed from one 
member to another, and when all the data have been recorded are 
reproduced by a copying process and copies furnished to each ob- 
server. In the same way it is proposed to have yearly charts on which 
will be recorded the first and last occurrence, arrival and departure of 
bulk, and other general facts relating to each species. 
The club meets in Philadelphia twice a month, when all matters of 
importance are discussed and specimens exhibited. 
Another aim of the club is to keep a complete record of all the 
birds which occur in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New 
Jersey, and of the breeding habits of those species which remain in 
this district during the summer. These observations will cover a wider 
field than those on migration, the latter being confined to the imme- 
diate vicinity of the Delaware River south of Trenton, as it is thought 
that better results can be obtained by restricting the country covered 
by the observations to one river rather than by including other river or 
coast districts. 
During the present year the club has seven regular observers,—Wm. 
L. Baily at Wynnewood, Pa.; Samuel N. Rhoades at Haddonfield, N. 
J.; J. Harris Reed at Tinicum Island, Pa.; Geo. Morris at Olney, 
Pa.; Dr. Spencer Trotter at Swarthmore, Pa.; Chas. A. Voelker at 
Chester, Pa., and Witmer Stone at Germantown, Pa. 
The results so far have been highly satisfactory, and have far sur- 
passed our expectations. We therefore thought by stating our methods 
of work other observers similarly situated might be led to **join their 
forces "" and gain the benefit of each other's work as we have done. 
This work need not interfere in any way with that being conducted 
by the Department of Agriculture, as the correspondents of the De- 
partment can fill out their schedules as heretofore, or they can substitute 
the combined report of the club, as may be desired. In any case the 
results obtained by the combined efforts of a number of observers in 
i = small district cannot fail to be of service to the Department when it 
| | to work out the migration through the country at large. 
close of the year we hope to present to Zhe Auk an abstract 
: ition of 1890 as it occurred in the valley of the Delaware, 
à with | map showing the district covered by each observer.—WITMER 
ee 
