Notes and News
John Davis has joined the staff of The Condor as Assistant Editor. Robert K. Selander begins a term of service in 1957 as a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee.
The Grayson painting which appears as the frontispiece of volume 59 of The Condor shows a group of three Gila Woodpeckers, two males and a female. The drawing was made by Grayson at Mazatlbn, Sinaloa, Mexico, in May of 1865.
The Cooper Society notes with regret the death of Howard Robertson on October 17, 19.56. Mr. Robertson joined the Cooper Club in 1896 and was elected to Honorary Membership in 1949. He was largely instrumental in arranging the incorporation of the organization in 1934, bringing to bear his legal experience. From that year until 1948 he served as President of the Board of Directors of the corporation.
The following Committee on Arrangements was approved by the Board of Directors for the Annual Meeting of the Cooper Society to be held in Los Angeles, April 2628, 1957: Thomas R. Howell (Chairman), Mrs. Vernon Barrett, Jean Delacour, Mrs. Paul D. Dodds, C. V. Duff, Ed. N. Harrison, Mrs. Thomas R. Howell, Hildegarde Howard, Mrs. J. L. McBride, J. R. Pemberton, W. J. Sheffler, and J. C. von Bloeker, Jr.
Special features planned for the meeting include a visit to the aviary of Ray Thomas, a field trip to the condor country, a bird art exhibit at the Los Angeles Museum, and a showing of a Disney nature film.
Ludlow Griscom has resigned as President of the American Ornithologists’ Union for reasons of health. He is succeeded as President by Ernst Mayr. Through action of the Council, George H. Lowery, Jr. has been advanced to First Vicepresident and Austin L. Rand has been designated Second Vice-president.
The Conservation Department of Cornell University is conducting a research project concerned with hybridization in surface-feeding ducks, including the Mallard, Pintail, Black Duck, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, and Shoveller. The purpose of this study is to obtain further information on the relationships within this controversial group, using behavioral data, relative fertility determinations, and possibly other physiological techniques. It is hoped that the greatest possible number of hybrid crosses among these species may be studied, and there is need of first generation male hybrids of known parentage for this purpose. Any aviculturist who happens to possess such birds, and who is willing to lend them to the Department for this project, could assist greatly. It would be appreciated if interested persons would write Charles G. Sibley or Paul A. Johnsgard, at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
