[Such a delightful report as the one which we have here condensed, is more than enough to repay one for all the labor connected with the A. A. The debt of gratitude is on the other side.]
254, Fulton, N. Y. We have started a library, and are now studying ornithology. Our membership is reduced to three, but all are active.—Herbert C. Howe.
[If three active-members understand "Reduction Ascending," they will soon reduce the membership to a dozen or more.]
256, Newton, Upper Falls, Mass. The past year has been one of gratifying progress. We number twelve. Our meetings are very interesting, each member giving an account of some object in his branch of study, often illustrating it by the specimen or describing some book he has been reading, or relating some recent personal experience. At the first meeting of each month a paper called Gatherings is read, composed of original records of personal observations. Wishing to bring our Chapter and its work to the knowledge of our friends, we have held a series of socials at the home of one of our members. The first of the evening we have devoted to talks and essays by the members of the Chapter, and later we have played games, and amused ourselves in other ways. We find this plan very beneficial, and have already gained three new members and a present of books.—Mrs. J. M. H. Smith.
[We commend this suggestive report to the earnest attention of every Chapter.]
257, Plantsville, Ct. We have made large additions to our collections. Our library also has been enlarged, and we have now nearly 100 volumes. We decide on the subject for each coming meeting in this way. Each member writes on a ballot the subject he would prefer. The ballots are then shaken in a hat, and the one drawn first is our subject. Moreover, the one whose ballot is successful must furnish a paper on that subject, and all the others bring short items on the same subject. We closed our last meeting by a collation, and singing by our glee club.—A. L. Ely, Box 219.
260, Mercer, Pa. We have not been idle, and have quite a collection. We think every Chapter should keep a scrap-book for entering reports and clippings.—Mrs. H. M. Magoffin.
272, West Town, N. Y.—Most of us are attending school away from home. We therefore disband through the winter, and then reorganize for the summer vacation, and work as much as we can, for we have farm work to do besides. Still we can study as we work, and we do this. Our minerals are all labeled and mounted. We have about 200 birds' eggs, some of them quite rare. We pride ourselves on our insects. I think we have 300, still am not positive. Our botanical specimens number 200. The work we have done, though not very great, has done us a great amount of good.—William Evans, Sec.
Some Important Questions.
Manchester, Vt.