THE CONDOR 
| Vor.. VII 
180 
birds about the gardens came to drink and 
bathe in the bowls and basins placed under 
hydrants for their use, many species concerning 
themselves but little about the presence of 
people a few feet away. With persons reading 
or even conversing, say twenty-five or thirty 
feet from a favorite hydrant, many of the birds 
would drink or take a succession of refreshing 
dips with absolute indifference to the fact that 
any one was near, yet ever alert for their natural 
enemies. 
Though I never have had any experience in 
the art of bird photography, the opportunities 
in this case were too tempting to let pass. 
Selecting a hydrant where the sun shone 
unobstructed for some hours in the day, a 
screen was rigged up, at a distance of seven feet, 
by means of a clothes horse and some old 
matting, while a borrowed kodak that had to 
be set up on a box and focused by means of a 
sheet of note paper instead of ground glass, a 
whole lot of patience and more failures com- 
pleted the outfit. No, it did not either. The 
back or open side of the screen was against the 
thorniest rose bush I ever saw — or felt! Birds 
came too early and came too late and few of 
them chose the hours when the light was right, 
while somebody was pretty sure to walk by the 
spot almost every time a bird or so did come, 
and frighten it away just as it was commencing 
to look pleasant. The accompanying group is 
the better part of my efforts. These photo- 
graphs were taken at a distance of about three 
feet. — Joseph Maii.i.iard. 
Minutes of Club Meetings 
NORTHERN DIVISION 
September. — The Club met September 2 at 
the residence of Miss M. Ella Hall, Oakland, 
Cal. Seventeen members and one visitor were 
present. Owing to the absence of an executive 
officer, the meeting was called to order by the 
secretary, and Mr. W. Otto Emerson was ap- 
pointed chairman pro inn. A series of reso- 
lutions from the Southern Division was read 
and discussed at length. O11 motion, the 
resolutions were ordered laid on the table. 
The death of one of our Honorary Members, 
Mr. Walter E. Bryant, was announced, and the 
Chairman appointed Mr. H. R. Taylor, Mr. W. 
K. Fisher, and Mr. H. C. Ward a committee to 
draft resolutions expressing the regrets of the 
Club. The resolutions were ordered published 
in The Condor. (Published in last issue.) 
The program was now taken up. Mr. W. K. 
Fisher presented “In Memoriam: Walter E. 
Bryant, ” and Mr. Thompson read a paper on 
“California Jay and Thrasher.” Refreshments 
were then served by the ladies of the Club, and 
meeting adjourned to meet in San Francisco, 
November 4, 1905. 
Charles S. Thompson, Secretary. 
SOUTHERN DIVISION 
June. — The regular monthly meeting was 
held June 22 in Room 1, City Hall, Dos Ange- 
les, with twelve members and one visitor pres- 
ent and President Law presiding. The applica- 
tion of Mr. C. K. Knickerbocker, 303 Western 
Union Building, Chicago, 111 . , was presented. Mr. 
( 1 . Willett, 1 10 N. P'igueroa St., Los Angeles, Cal., 
was elected to active membership. Resolutions 
recently passed by the Northern Division, re- 
garding the issuing of permits for the collection 
of nests and eggs, a copy of said resolutions 
having been forwarded to this division, were 
then read. After tlioro discussion by those 
present, it was unanimously voted to refuse to 
accept these resolutions as expressing the opin- 
ion of the Southern Division upon this matter 
but to give this opinion form in the following 
resolutions, which were unanimously adopted. 
Whereas, the Legislature of the State of California 
has at the urgent solicitation of the bird lovers and bird 
students of the State, and particularly at the solicitation 
of the Cooper Ornithological Club, passed a measure 
which will, if properly enforced, accomplish to a large 
degree a long needed protection to bird life; and 
Whereas, for the purpose of furthering the said pro- 
tection to bird life, the said Legislature has vested in the 
Board of Fish and Game Commissioners of the State of 
California and in them solely and at their discre- 
tion the power of issuing permits to persons desiring to 
collect birds, nests, and eggs; and 
Whereas, the said Board of Fish and Game Commis- 
sioners is making a strong effort to prevent the ruthless 
slaughter of birds and destruction of their eggs, and in 
the matter of permits for collecting, the said Board is is- 
suing no permits except to persons who have satisfied the 
Board that they are collecting for bona fide scientific 
purposes, and that they will not abuse the privilege 
granted them, now therefore be it 
Resolved, That the Southern Division of the Cooper 
Ornithological Club views with hearty approval the 
efforts of the Board of Fish and Game Commissioners of 
the State of California to confine the killing of birds and 
t li e taking of their eggs to true scientific limits by refus- 
ing to grant permits to those collecting for merely com- 
mercial purposes or as more hobbyists; and be it further 
Resolved, That the members of the Southern Division 
of the Cooper Ornithological Club have been very fawly 
treated by the said Board of Fish and Game Commission- 
ers and the examination they have been subjected to in 
order to secure permits, has been only such as is reason- 
aide in order to carry out the purposes cf the said pro- 
tective measure; and be it further 
Resolved, That the Secretary of this the -Southern 
Division of the Cooper Ornithological Club, be instructed 
to forward a copy of these resolutions to the said Board 
of l-'ish and Game Commissioners; to spread a copy of 
the same on the minutes of the Southern Division; to 
publish a copy of the said resolutions in the next issue of 
the Club’s official organ; and to send a copy to the North- 
ern Division of the Cooper Ornithological Club; and be it 
finally 
Resolved, That certain resolutions adopted by the 
Northern Division of the Cooper Ornithological Club 
“viewing with alarm” the good work of the said Fish and 
Game Commissioners and published as the views of 
“The Cooper Ornithological Club" should have been la- 
belled the views of “The Northern Division of the Coop- 
er Ornithological Club " 
The next meeting of this division being the 
October Outing Meeting, the President was 
authorized to name two members to act with 
himself as committee of arrangements for that 
meeting. 
The program was opened with a most inter- 
esting talk upon “Hawaiian Birds” by Prof. 
Loye Holmes Miller, of the State Normal 
School, Los Angeles. At the conclusion of 
Prof. Miller’s remarks opportunity was given 
for examining specimens and asking questions. 
In the absence of Mr. John M. Willard his 
paper for the evening, entitled “Some Thoughts 
Regarding Young Birds,” was read by the Sec- 
retary. This described several interesting ex- 
periences with the young of the Wilson phal- 
arope, and of the snowy plover. 
H. T. Clifton, .Secretary. 
