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 130 THE CONDOR Voh XXI The Organization Meeting of the Ameri- can Society of Mammalogists was held in the New National Museum, Washington, D. C., April 3 and 4, 1919, with a charter mem- bership of over two hundred and fifty. The following officers were elected: C. Hart Merriam, President; E. W. Nelson, First ice-President; Wilfred H. Osgood, Second 1ce-President; H. H. Lane, Recording Sec- retary; Hartley H. T. Jackson, Correspond- ing Secretary; Walter P. Taylor, Treasurer. The Councilors are: Glover M. Allen, R. M. Anderson, J. Grinnell, M. W. Lyon, W. D. Matthew, John C. lIerriam, Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., T. S. Palmer. Edward A. Preble, Witruer Stone, and N. Hollister, Editor. The policy of the Society will be to devote its attention to the study of mammals in a broad way, in- cluding life histories, habits, evolution, pal- aeontology, relations to plants and animals, anatomy, and other phases. Publication of the Journal of Mammalogy, in which popu- lar as well as technical matter w11 be pre- sented, will start this year. Anyone who qualifies for membership before the next annual meeting will be considered a charter member. Addition to Military Service Record: SItMoNs, George F., Second Lieutenant, Sanitary Corps, Adjutant, Base Hospital no. 130, Camp Shelby, Miss. Disqharged De- cember 18, 1918. lIr. Simmons is now re- sumlng his ornithological studies at the University of Texas. The Summer Session of the University of California at Berkeley will be held this year from June 30 to August 9. Two courses of special interest to students of birds will be given, one on "The Birds of California" and the other pertaining to "Economic Verte- brate Zoology"; both to be conducted by Associate Professor J. Grinnell and based on the collections and equipment of the Museum of .ertebrate Zoology. Merrill W. Blain died at his home in Los Angeles on December 26, 1918. He was born at Oceanview, California, April 24, 1894, and received his early education in San Fran- cisco. At the time of his death Blain was a third-year student in the Detroit College of Medicine and Surgery. He was an en- thusiastic ornithologist and was a member of the Cooper Ornithological Club, the Wil- son Ornithological Club and the American Ornithologists' Union. He had a well cared for collection 'of the birds and eggs of south- ern California. Blain had returned to Cali- fornia in the hopes of regaining his health and was for some months in a sanitarium, but he continued to fail. He was buried in southern California amid the hills and flow- ers he loved so well. The Business Managers' report for the year 1918 has been presented to the two Di- visions of the Cooper Ornithological Club by Messrs. Law and Chambers. Some of the more important features ot  their statement are as follows: In 1918, CONDOR fund re- ceipts amounted to $1258.46, Avifauna re- ceipts, $105.73; January 1, 1918, there was in bank $8.68. Total available funds for 1918, $1372.87. Expenditures, from CONDOR fund (which includes administrative ex- penses of the Club), $1173.06, from Avifauna fund, $9.31, a total of $1182.37. Balance in bank, January 1, 1919, $190.50. Deducting from this balance dues and subscriptions al- ready received for 1919 and subsequent years ($127.10), and there is left $63.40, which represents the net balance on hand with all debts paid. There were printed 1100 copies of each is- sue of volume 20 (1918) of THE CONDOR. The printing of this volume, with 226 pages, cost $920.36, as compared with $892.55 for volume 18 (1916), with 250 pages. Receipts during 1918 were the least of any year since 1913, but careful retrenchment kept disburse- ments at a lower figure than for any year since 1912,--this despite the fact that the cost per page' of printing THE CONDOR iS greater than ever before. In last year's report the business mana- gers ventured the prediction that January 1, 1919, might see the Club entirely solvent. Happily, this has been realized, and, for the first time in the twenty years of THE CoN- DOR'S existence, the old year makes a small contribution to the new. The Club began 1919 with an actual cash surplus of $63.40, and all debts paid. The publication of Avifauna 13, the Second .Ten Year Index to THE CONDOR, has been undertaken, and will again throw the Club in debt. The earlier numbers of the Avi- fauna series were published, and the cost successfully met, at a time when each new issue only increased an already excessive deficit, a condition requiring much optimism on the part of the'business managers and a great deal of patience on the part of the Club's creditors. Now, with no deficit and with an established demand for the Club's publications, it is reasonable to assume that the sale. of Avifauna 13, together with ear- lier numbers, will all but pay the cost of publication. But there is much more ma- terial available for production in this se- ries, no less than four numbers being now in course of preparation, some with the manuscript well toward completion. The production of these papers presents a prob- lem to be met during the coming year. The Business Managers invite suggestions as to