Notes and News
NOTES AND NEWS
The frontispiece of this issue shows the Rosethroated Becard (Plat@saris uglaiae) as painted by Andrew Jackson Grayson. This colored plate appears through the generosity of E. W. Mudge, Jr.
Grayson painted the Becard in January, 1865, in the course of a visit to Tres Marias Islands. He writes, “About the last day of my hunting in the Tres Marias, and when I had almost dispaired of finding any new birds in that locality, this interesting one suddenly made its appearance before me in the thick woods that border the hills and steep barrancas of the island. It was very tame and unconcerned at my presence-darting and snapping at flies-also searching for insects, among the leaves and branches of the underbrush, Mike tke true flycatchers. The same day and near the same place as if sent especially for my collection, I was so fortunate as to secure two others-one female-and these were the only three I had met with.”
The Becard is a member of the family Cotingidae, closely related to the American flycatchers, family Tyrannidae. The flowering plant shown in the frontispiece is Guacium coulteri Gray, a .member of the family Zygophyllaceae, and is known locally as guayacan.
At the meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union in Minneapolis and St. Paul, October 9 to 13, 1950, the following officers were elected: Josselyn Van Tyne, president; Alden H. Miller, first vice-president ; Ludlow Griscom, second vice-president ; 0. S. Pettingill, secretary ; R. .4llyn Moser, treasurer ; Harvey I. Fisher, editor; Walter J. Breckenridge, George H. Lowery, Frank A. Pitelka and L. L. Snyder, new council members. Alexander F. Skutch was awarded the Brewster Medal for his work on life histories of Central American birds. Newly elected Fellows were: W. J. Breckenridge, Maurice Brooks, Harvey I. Fisher, William Rowan, Aretas A. Saunders, Alexander Sprunt, and Winsor M. Tyler. Twenty-five members were elected, as follows
: Anders H. Anderson, Rollin H. Baker, William J Beecher, Charles H. Blake, Ben B. Coffey, Jr., James F. Denton, Alexander D. DuBois, Mary M. Erickson, E. Thomas Gilliard, Horace Groskin, William H. Marshall, Harold F. Mayfield, Gale Monson, Karl Plath, Fred J. Pierce, Hustace H. Poor, Kenneth Racey, William F. Rapp, Jr., W. Austin Squires, Walter P. Taylor, Melvin A. Traylor, Ruth H. Thomas, Arthur B. Williams, Cecil S. Williams, and Angus M. Woodbury.
In 1951, the Union will meet in Montreal.
By recent action of the Boa;d of Directors, annual dues for regular membership in the Cooper Ornithological Club have been raised from three to four dollars. The subscription rate is now five dollars. Sustaining membership remains at five dollars.
