Page:Bird-lore Vol 05.djvu/84

 Editorials 69

the magazine falls under heads three and four, and consists of reviews, book news. editorials, and the Audubon Department. Now, on the other hand. let us examine several articles about to be returned to their authors, which do not seem to meet our re- quirementsa The firstI describes a ‘iree lunch counter’ antl names the birds that come to it. We should be glad to give it space if we had not repeatedly published similar articles, some of them illustrated, {See Bum-Lou. l. .9, 195; Ii. 177: III, is. 74. 202; IV. go: v. 30.) The second, gives extracts from the note-book of an evi- dently enthusiastic student. We can readily imagine the pleasure with which the obser- vations recorded were made. but they do not appear to possess either importance or general interest. The third, records the occurrence of a bird far beyond the known limits of its range.

scientiﬁc

Only a single individual was seen. the observer was not familiar w h the species in life, and the incident. if recorded, would ever be open to question. We can» not see. therefore, that science would be the gainer by the publication of this communi- cation, so we return it.

The fourth manuscript treats of ‘Our Sparrows,‘ It describes their plumages and some well—known habits, but contains no original matter not indeed any informa- tion which is not accessible to every one with one or two bird books. make an excellent article tor almost any other magazine than one devoted to bird- study!

The ﬁfth article records with some de- tail its author‘s experience seeing an albino bird, it is always interesting to see a bird of this nature, but its mere existence is at not the slightest scientiﬁc importance.

It would

Albinism may occur in any animal and is merely an indication of an abnormal physiological Fond ion. It is due to lack of pigment. and this fact once known. a white Crow is of no more Iii!"- riﬁt interest than a black one. It. how» ever, a white bird should be seen which appeared to be attare of its conspicuous- ness and was apparentlt' tar wilder than other individuals of it,

pecies. then we

should have a possible case of cause and eliect which would be well worth recording,

Our sixth manuscript is in the nature of a story. The birds are humanized. each being given a name. The author appears to stick to the known facts in the history of the species under consideration. but we feel we are here on dangerous ground. Ernest Seton's success in this manner of pre- senting natural history lore has tempted many authors to imitate his methods, but the res stilts have in most instances only emphasized the ease with which one steps overthe border line of fact into the li ess ﬁeld of ﬁction

The seventh to tenth contributions are in verse. It is to be expected that the emotions excited by an acquaintance with the "world‘s best minstrels" should seek expression through a poetic medium: but to write rhymes is one thing, to write poetry quite another. In almost every in- stance we sympathize with the sentiment to which the author would give form but.

alas! even the love of birds, inspiring as it is. cannot make poets, This subject of form of expression leads us to speak of another kind of manuscript wl ch leu- Lone rarely receives antl never returns. It mav or may not set forth a fact of scien- t ’mport; its value lies [e tells than in Ila-1:.- it is toltla This is the true literature of ornithology. Such literature is to be found in the writings of Richard Jelteries and john Burroughs. the bird through the man subjective in- terpretation of it in its place |n nature. After all, is not this the best type of ornithology which leads us to set birds in nature most clearly and most truly? Is not he the greatest ornithologist who brings to all the people a knowledge of the beauties of hirtl» life? Even rarer than the poet's gift is this power to write oi the living bird with such insight. sympathy and eloquence that even to tllose who know it best the writ ten word will reveal before-unthought-ul charms. But to us all is given the power to observe carefully and record accurately.

in t‘w/ml il

One sees

and in time it maybe out iortuue to make a valued addition to the world's knowledge it not to the world‘s literature.7l‘:uqlrr our/ml. N. 1.. Fell. (7, I90}.