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 Editorials ilirti'itore A Bi-monthly Magazine Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds OFFICIAL OKC^AN OF THF. AIIDVISUX SOCIETIES Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Vol. 1 December, 1899 No. 6 SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Price in thelhiited States, Canada, and Mexico, twenty cents a number, one dollar a year, post- age paid. Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, at Englewood, New Jersey, or 65 Fifth avenue, New York City. Price in all countries in the International Postal Union, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar and a quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents. Macmillan and CoMPAiNv, Ltd., London. Manuscripts for publication, books, etc., for re- view, should be sent to the Editor at Englewood. New Jersey. Advertisements should be sent to the Pub- lishers at Englewood, New Jersey, or 65 Fifth avenue, New York City. COPYRIGHTED. 1899, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN. Bird-Lore's Motto : A Bird in tke Bush is Worth Two in the Hand. We have thus far avoided all mention of the financial side of the conducting of Bird-Lore, nor do we now^ propose to adopt the course which circumstances, alas ! have so often forced upon popular natural history journals, of turning the editorial page into a plea for sub- scriptions. We trust, however, that in this con- cluding number of our first volume we may be permitted to make several state- ments in which we hope our subscrib- ers will have a mutual interest. In the first place, replying to the in- quiry as to whether Bird-Lore will not soon be issued at monthly instead of bi- monthly intervals, let us say that the management of Bird-Lore is with us an avocation to which we can devote only the margin of time left from fully oc- cupied days. To publish it each month would involve greatly increased labor, which, under the circumstances, we can- not assume, and we have attempted to bridge this difficulty by printing as much matter in each number as is ordinarily contained in two numbers of any popu- lar ornithological journal. In the end, therefore, the subscriber receives quite as much for his money, and in support of this statement we may be pardoned for calling attention to the fact that the present volume of Bird- Lore contains some 200 pages of text with over 70 illustrations, more, we be- lieve, than is offered by any other bird magazine for the sum of one dollar. To continue with this unpleasant sub- ject ; being perfectly familiar with the sad fate which has befallen so many of our predecessors — and of which when this journal was in contemplation our friends rarely failed to remind us! — we did not establish Bird-Lore as a money making enterprise, but as a means of popularizing a study, the advancement of which is foremost in our desires, and as an aid to the cause of the Audubon So- cieties. We believe, therefore, we may venture to say, that our relations with our sub- scribers are of a wholly different and more intimate nature than those which exist between the publishers and pur- chasers of magazines which yield an adequate money return for labor ex- pended. We have common interests to the furtherance of which we, for our part, are willing to devote no little time and thought, as we trust is shown by our announcements for 1900. To properly carry out our plans, however, it will be necessary to increase the size of Bird- Lore, a step not as yet warranted by our subscription list. We would, there- fore, ask the cooperation of every reader who has at heart the interests of bird study and bird protection. This coopera- tion may be shown in one or both of two ways : First, you may aid in increas- ing Bird-Lore's circulation by securing new subscribers, by presenting a year's subscription as a Christmas gift to some friend who is interested, or whom you want to interest in birds, or by sug- gesting this course to others. Second, you may assist us by promptly renewing