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ig6 Bird -Lore held the fork, but without restraint, he was carried across two rooms and down a flight of stairs, where a large packing box was made ready for his accommoda- tion, but the plan proved a failure, for in the morning he was found dead. It was thought that he was injured by a severe choking received the preceding day while his captor was inducing him to give up his grip on the English Sparrow, and death was believed to have resulted from this cause. — Ellen E. Webster, Frank- lin Falls, M. H. [Mrs. Webster's exceedingly interesting experi- ence should dispose of the absurd theory that Shrikes impale their victims in pure cruelty, it being evident, in this instance, at least, that the combination of a raptorial bill and feeding habits, in connection with passerine feet, which are ap- parently not adapted to grasping prey, forced the bird to fasten his food to something before he could tear it into edible pieces.— F. M. C] American Ornithologists' Union The Eighteenth Congress of the Ameri- can Ornithologists' Union was held in Cambridge, Mass., November 12-15, 1900. The attendance of active and associate members and the public was larger than at any previous Congress, the audience at times numbering between two and three hundred. In addition to the interest aroused by the papers presented, a list of which is printed on another page, the hospitality of the Cambridge members greatly increased the enjoyability of the meeting and at the same time afforded opportunity for that social intercourse which is so important a part of conventions. On the evening of the 15th, Mr. Edward Waldo Emerson lectured to the members of the Union on his personal recollections and estimate of Thoreau, at the residence of Mr. Brewster, and the following day, after this admirable prelude, a number of the members, under Mr. Brewster's guidance, visited many of the places about Concord which Thoreau has made so familiar to all nature lovers. At the business meeting of the Union, held at Brewster's Museum on the even- ing of the i2th, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, C. Hart Merriam ; vice-presidents, Charles B. Cory and C. F. Batchelder ; secretary, John H. Sage ; treasurer, William Dutcher; councilors, Frank M. Chapman, Ruthven Deane, J. Dwight, Jr., A. K. Fisher, E. W. Nelson, Thomas S. Roberts, Witmer Stone. As ex-presidents, J. A. Allen, William Brewster, D. G. Elliot, and Robert Ridgway also serve as councilors. There were no candidates for active membership. One honorary member. Dr. A. B. Meyer, two corresponding members, Count E. Arrigoni degli Oddi and Walter E. Bryant, and sixty - seven associate members were elected. At this meeting notice was given of a proposed change in the by-laws of the Union of far-reaching importance. It pro- vides for the increase of the limit of active membership from fifty to seventy-five, but prohibits the election to this class of more than five members annually. It desig- nates the members of this class Fellows instead of Active Members, and provides for the establishment of a new class of members, likewise limited to seventy-five in number, who shall be known simply as Members, but who shall not have the privileges of voting, etc. , accorded Fellows. Action on this proposed amend- ment will be taken in November, 1901 The more important features of the public sessions of the Union, which were held in the Nash Lecture room of Harvard University Museum, were memorial ad- dresses on Elliott Coues and George B. Sennett, delivered by D. G. Elliot and J. A. Allen, respectively; William Butch- er's report on the expenditure of about $1,000 of the Thayer fund, T. S. Palmer's account of the methods employed for the enforcement of the Lacey Bill, and the large series — about four hundred in num- ber — of excellent lantern slides exhibited. Mr. Dutcher stated that he had secured the services of twenty-three wardens and five superintendents, the latter being mem- bers of the Union who volunteered, and with their assistance had given all protec- tion afforded by law to the water birds breeding from Virginia to Maine.