222 
The Americati Ornithologists’ Union. 
[October 
This call was sent to a little less than fifty of the more promi- 
nent ornithologists of the United States and Canada, selected 
mainly in reference to their scientific standing, but somewhat with 
regard to geographical representation, it being desirable to make 
the gathering as catholic and non-sectional as possible. Of the 
forty-eight persons invited all but fourteen responded, in each case 
warmly favoring the project ; there is reason to believe that in 
a large part of the remaining instances the persons invited failed, 
through absence from home or other cause, to receive the call. 
Twenty-five of those heard from expressed their intention to 
attend the convention, and twenty-one were actually present. 
Following is a list of those in attendance, with the states whence 
they came : Hon. Chas. Aldrich, Iowa ; H. B. Bailey, E. P. Bick- 
nell, D. G. Elliot, Dr. A. K. Fisher, Dr. J. B. Holder, Dr. E. 
A. Mearns, and Dr. C. H. Merriam, New York; C. F. Batchel- 
der, W. Brewster, C. B. Cory, and H. A. Purdie, Massachu- 
setts ; Capt. C. E. Bendire, U. S. A., Oregon; N. C. Brown, 
Maine ; M. Chamberlain, New Brunswick ; Dr. E. Coues, Dr. 
D. W. Prentiss, and R. Ridgway, District of Columbia ; T. 
Mcllwraith, Canada; Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, U. S. A., Louisiana; 
Dr. J. M. Wheaton, Ohio. 
The meeting was called to order by Mr. Brewster, and Dr. 
Coues and Mr. Bicknell were respectively elected temporary 
Chairman and Secretary. The original call for the Convention 
was then read, and also the list of persons to whom invita- 
tions had been sent, twenty-one of whom were present and 
responded. On motion of Dr. Merriam a resolution was 
adopted to the effect : That those who attended the convention 
be declared Founders of the American Ornithologists’ Union, and 
that this Union be declared to be hereby founded. A commu- 
nication was then read by the Chair from Professor Baird, expres- 
sing his hearty concurrence in the objects of the Convention, and 
his regret at being unable to be present. The Chair then referred 
to the eminent standing as naturalists of both Prof. Baird and 
Mr. Allen, and urged, notwithstanding their enforced absence — 
the one by pressing official duties, the other by physical disability 
— that these gentlemen, in view of their connection with the 
initial steps of organization, be enrolled among the Founders, 
raising the number of Founders to twenty-three. A motion to 
this effect was unanimously carried. 
