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Mar., 1920 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 
467 
Natural History Department’’, vol. u, 1906, will show its importance as viewed 
through British eyes: : 
‘““The Henshaw Collection, consisting of 13,326 specimens, [including 
eges|, with three types and thirty species new to the Museum. 
‘‘This fine collection was purchased and given to the British Museum by 
Dr. Godman. 
‘‘Many American ornithologists have told me that they are glad that we 
have the Henshaw Collection in England, and the advantage to students of 
Ornithology has been simply incalculable. Before this time there could not be 
said to be any collection of North American birds worthy of the name in Eng- 
land, but since Dr. Godman acquired the Henshaw Collection we have been 
able to comprehend and appreciate the work of our American colleagues in a 
manner before impossible, and the advantage to the writers of the ‘Catalogue 
of Birds’ cannot be over-estimated. 
‘‘An act of courtesy on the part of the authorities of the United States 
National Museum deserves grateful recognition. Professor Ridgway was per- 
mitted to devote his time to the identification of the specimens with Mr. Hen- 
shaw, so that the collection when it arrived was found to be not only complete- 
ly and neatly labelled, but the names attached to the species represented the 
most recent conclusions of American naturalists. These determinations have 
proved to be of immense advantage to English ornithologists.”’ 
THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION 
The American Ornithologists’ Union was founded in 1883, when I was ab- 
sent in the far west, and I had nothing to do with its formative period. On 
my return I learned of my appointment on one of its important committees, 
which was charged with the preparation of a Code of Nomenclature and Check- 
List of North American Birds. I continued a member of the committee for sev- 
eral years, or until I left for the Hawaiian Islands in 1893. After numerous 
meetings and much research and discussion the results obtained by the Com- 
mittee were embodied in the A. O. U. Code of Nomenclature and Check-List 
of North American Birds, of which three editions, with many changes and 
emendations, have been published to date. The issuance of the code was time- 
ly, and it has undoubtedly exerted great influence in nomenclatural matters 
not only in this but in other countries. 
Though I have been a member of numerous scientific societies, I have 
taken little active part in any, except perhaps the Anthropological Society of 
Washington for a few years; and this failure has been due less to a lack of in- 
terest than to an innate dislike to public appearance and to the delivery of 
papers, never wholly overcome. 
I served on the Council of the A. O. U. from 1883 to 1891, and as Vice- 
President from 1891 to 1894 and from 1911-18. I also served on a special com- 
mittee to revise the Code in 1907-1908. At the beginning of 1919 I resigned 
from the Vice-Presideney and from the list of Fellows and at my request was 
placed on the list of Retired Fellows, which was formed, as I think wisely, for 
the purpose of making room for the younger and more active men of the 
Union. 
VISIT TO LOCUST GROVE, NEW YORK 
In August of 1885 I spent a week or more with Hart Merriam at his fath- 
er’s home in Locust Grove, New York. The house was beautifully located upon 
