Derby, Walter J.

The Ohio Journal of Science

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May, 1903.] Meeting of the Wheaton Club. 437MEETING OF THE WHEATON CLUB.The Club met in Biological Hall, Monday evening, April thetwentieth. After the reading of the minutes there was a shortbusiness session in which, among other matters, the Club resolvedto make efforts toward the better protection of birds in theUniversity grounds. After the business session the Club spentmost of the evening in a general discussion of the causes, routesand general phenomena of bird migration. Prof. Smith openedthe discussion by a review of the articles published several yearsago by Prof. W. W. Cooke upon " Bird Migrations in the Missis-sippi Valley." The investigations upon which this was based,could not, by reason of the physical features of the region studied,afford much light on the question of the existence or non-exist-ence of particular bird routes. At this point Prof. Smith tookoccasion to state the conflicting theories upon this subject whichare held by European ornithologists, some holding that birdsmigrate along special paths and others that they pass in a broadmare. The point covered to a fuller degree in the article reviewedwas as to the effects of mind and temperature particularly thelatter, upon migration flights and the author of the articleseemed to consider the effect of temperature the more important.An article in the American Naturalist for September, 1902, upon'' Bird Migrations'' by Dr. C. C. Trowbridge was then brieflyreviewed by Mr. Derby. This article which based its conclusionsupon the observations of hawk migrations upheld the influenceof wind in migration as opposed to temperature. Mr. Mead thenpresented a paper upon "The Great Auk." He first describedthe distribution of the bird and commented upon the fact that itoccupied formally in the North Polar regions the position held bythe Penguin in the South. He next took up the appearance andhabits of the birds, speaking of its awkward movements, habitof flocking in great numbers, the fact that only a single egg waslaid and other interesting details. He then described graphicallythe former abundance of the Auks and their wholesale destructionfor the sake of the eggs, flesh and feathers by the sailors. Thelast live birds found were captured in 1844. In closing mentionwas made of the specimens in existence and of the value assignedto them. Prof. Hine called the attention of the Club to tworecords, made some years ago, of birds very rare in the state, theRed-cockaded Woodpecker and the Red-tailed Black Hawk, bothtaken in this region. In the line of personal observations Mr.Dawson reported several early records, among which were HermitThrush, March 15 ; Barn Swallows, April 4, and Bobolink andChimney Swift, April 12.J. DERBY, Secretary.WALTER

Meeting of the Wheaton Club

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Meeting of the Wheaton Club

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