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July, r9or [ THE C()N I)OR Io 9 QUERY COLUMN. ANSWERS. 6. Replying to Mr. Grinnell's query, "Does the Rufous Hummingbird breed in California"?, so far as my observations go, it does. On April r4, r896 I photographed a nest of what later proved to be Selasphorus rufus, as we shall see. This nest was placed in a climbing Cherokee rose, running over the rear gable of my home at Haywards. It might be asked how I knew this was a Rufous Hummingbird, since the males do not attend the females during ni- dification. Contrary to the observations of some late writersI have twice seen the male try to drive the female back to her nest, I had just stepped out on the porch at sunrise when Isaw the female leave the nest, darting through another clinging rose at the end of the porch in an effort to pass behind it. The male made his appearance at once, darting down at the female bird and after a few sharp twitters of anger which seemed to settle the matter of her leav- ing the nest so early, they both passed out of sight and not once did I see the male again during the incubation period. The only other instance I have recorded of the male being seen was in the middle of June, r879 , while camp- ing in the lower end of Calaveras valley Santa Clara Co., Cal. After setting up our table under a spreading sycamore and eating breakfast, a hummingbird flew off her ne.?t some six feet above the top of our table. In this case the male was noted some half hour later trying to drive the female to her nest, which she later forsook altogether on account of the noise we nmde. W. OT:ro E?.?ERSON. ]]a. vwards, Cal. The minutes of the Southern Div- ision are omitted from this issue, not having been received up to the time of going to press. A SUGGESTION FOR F(.)RMING CLUB CHAPTERS. At the rate the club is increasing in mem- bership we shall soon be confronted with an entirely new condition and one that will de- mand different methods of procedure. In the past our membership has been located near the centers of most interest in ornithology and it was a comparatively easy matter for the members to meet at any stated place. The membership now, however, is spreading out constantly through the smaller towns nntil in Southern California, they are as far away from the present meeting places as ?4o miles. At that distance or even one-fourth of it, it is a serious and expensive undertaking to attend a meeting. The same is true of the Northern Division. The result is that many of our enthusiast'[c members are deprived of the pleasure of at- tending the meetings of the club. This, in time, will force us to adopt different methods, and it occurs to me that at the present time it is proper to discuss the best methods of meet- ing it. I would therefore suggest for consider- ation the adoption of a plan whereby circles, extensions, local branches or whatever it is best to call them, of the club at large, under certain conditions, fiaight be formed. For in- stance, we have an enthusiastic member in some town remote from present centers. It would be an easy matter for that member to find out those in the vicinity likely to be in- terested in ornithology (and it is surprising how much latent interest there is which only needs arousing to bring it into activity). Then issue a call for a meeting, state the purposes of the club and get as many to join as is possi- ble. The local papers are always glad to help a movement of this sort, and many men not particularly interested in ornithology often lend their help by joining such a circle. One or two persons in a locality could easily start such a movement and with the addition of three or four mqre could form a strong nucleus which would rapidly grow into an active circle. Local officers could be elected and reports of meetings published in THE CON?)O? as at present. Under this system I believe the club at large would increase wonderfully in membership and the present members, scat- tered as they are, would derive much more benefit from their association with the club. FRANK S. DAGGETT. Pasadena, Cal. Mr. and Mrs. C. Barlow spent two weeks in June in camping with I,. E. Taylor studying ornithology along the Placerville-T?hoe Road.