4 



CITY LIJiRA R Y A SSOCIA TION. 



plans are now being made for a course of six lectures on bird life by Mr. 

 Chapman, next fall. 



As a stimulus and guide to bird study, the museum has compiled the 

 results of observation on arrivals, in a pamphlet giving the date of arri- 

 val of birds within ten miles of Springfield, during the spring of 1901 

 and 1902. This booklet is sold at the nominal price of five cents and 

 has been much in demand. It is proposed to issue an edition each 

 year with information brought up to date, and with notes to guide ob- 

 servers in this fascinating phase of nature study. 



Collections made in Competition for Prizes, 



Mention was made in the last report of the results of the contest for 

 prizes in mineralogy. 



Last year collections of beetles and their food plants made by pupils 

 below High School grade in any Springfield school were the subject of 

 competition. There were ten contestants, and the total number of speci- 

 mens collected numbered 1806, of which but few were duplicates. The 

 first prize of <|10 was awarded to Faunce Dumbleton of Euclid Avenue, 

 whose collection numbered 202 species and 28 food plants. The second 

 prize of <|5 went to Josephine de Montigny of Berkshire Street, who 

 secured 196 species and 18 food plants. Special mention of merit was 

 made of the collections of Elcinet WooUard of Victoria Street, Charles 

 G. Pease of Berkshire Street, and Alfred H. Hastings of Bowles Street. 

 The judges were Robert O. Morris, Miss Fannie Stebbins, Frederick Knab, 

 and Dr. George Dimmock. During the progress of the contest, talks 

 were given by Dr. Dimmock on methods of collecting, and two field tiips 

 were taken. This phase of museum work has attracted attention and 

 favorable comment in scientific papers. 



For the coming year, the Aston prizes in Natural History are offered. 

 The first prize of six dollars is open to pupils of grades five to nine and 

 will be awarded for the best life history of one kind of insect illustrated 

 by specimen. 



The second prize of four dollars is open to pupils of grades three to 

 seven and will be given for the most complete collection of insects found 

 feeding upon any one kind of tree or plant. 



In connection witli this contest a talk to children on "How to collect 

 insects that feed upon plants " was given by Dr. Dimmock April 10, with 

 an attendance of fifty-six. On Saturday, April 11, an excursion was 

 made, on which twenty went. 



