' J 
'£* ' 
Tacoma, Wash* 
Dec.26,1917. 
Dear Mr. Brewster: 
The season has rolled around again to where it is 
time for my annual letter,something which always gives me a real 
pleasure since wejseem unable to meet in person these days. 
You may possibly have read in the "Auk" and the "Condor" 
a few outbursts on the subject of owls,new state records, etc.,so I 
shall try not to repeat myself any more than possible. 
I was sorry not to have attended the A.O.U. meeting, in 
particular because X should have liked to renew old friendships 
and meet in person many whom I know only by correspondence. One 
of the best features of my exchanges in eggs is the friends that 
these dealings have brought me, some that I feel X could rely upon 
4-2 ’• 
absolutely in time of need,even though I have never seen them. 
My nesting season for 1917 proved even more interesting 
than usual, as I personally collected two sets of species new to 
my collection. These are Hooded Merganser N/lO and Northern Red- 
Breasted Sapsucker 1/5,which oddly enough were in the same patch 
of woods and only a couple of hundred yards apart -— although 
not collected on the same date. You probably have already re¬ 
ceived my calendar with the photograph of the Hooded Merganser 
nesting site. I think I told you about setting up six of these 
boxes,which I did two years ago. Nothing at all used them in 
1916 and many of my friends were inclined to consider it a use¬ 
less piece of hard work, for it was hard work carrying a long 
ladder and heavy boxes through those swamps. But you will easily 
