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 2l6 Bird - Lore trtMHore A Bi-monthly Magazine Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THK AUDUBON SOCIETIES Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Vol. VIII Published December 1, 1906 No. 6 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico twenty cents a number, one dollar a year, post- age paid. COPYRIGHTED, 1906, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN Bird-Lore's Motto: 4 Bird in thi Btish is Worth Tivo in the Hand BIRD-LORE for 1907 THREEyears ago, when Bird-Lore began the publication of a series of twenty-four •colored plates of Warblers, it was by no means certain that the undertaking would be o-iven the support needful to its success. The plan, however met with a prompt and practical endorsement which, now that all the North American; Warblers have been figured, fully warrants our taking up some other group of birds. It is proposed, therefore, to follow the Warblers with the Thrushes, and BlRD- Lore for February will consequently contain colored figures of the Hermit, Olive-backed and Gray-cheeked Thrushes, the Eastern and Chestnut-backed Blue-birds, while in April the Wood Thrush, Wilson's Thrush and Robin will appear. The small number of species in the family Turdidae in connection with their (as compared with the Warblers) limited variations in color with age, sex or season, assures the completion of this series of plates in the next (1907) volume of Bird- Lore. Then we expect to figure the Fly- catchers, even more difficult subjects, for the field student as well as the engraver, and, eventually, we hope that every species of North American bird will have been illus- trated in color in Bird-Lore. We shall have some capital articles to accompany the plates of Thrushes, notably one by Dr. J. Dwight, Jr., on the various races of Thrushes, with maps showing the distribution of each form ; and it gives us unusual pleasure to say that Professor Cooke's unequaled migration tables, based chiefly on data in the Biological Survey, will be continued. A long-cherished plan to increase Bird- Lore's usefulness to teachers will also ma- terialize in our coming volume. To the Audubon Executive Department will be added a School Department. Mr. Dutcher remains in charge of the former, while Mrs. Wright, to our great satisfaction, has con- sented to edit the latter. Mrs. Wright will be assisted by Miss Margaret Cook, of the Cornell Nature Study Bureau; and under this efficient and experienced management it is believed that a department will be de- veloped which will be of interest to children as well as of value to teacheis This depart- ment will be inaugurated in the next issue of Bird-Lore, the first numberof the ninth vol- ume, when its editors will state their plans. prizes for young observers We may announce here, however, that three prizes are offered to young observers of fourteen years and under, for the best accounts of 'A Bird Walk in December.' These essays should contain about 300 words and should be sent to the editor of Bird- Lore not later than December 20. The more irregular winter birds promise to visit us in unusual numbers this season. Pine Siskins and Canadian Nuthatches have been generally common throughout the fall; and both White-winged and Red Cross- bills, Pine Grosbeaks and even Evening Grosbeaks have been reported to us. The occurrence in the Atlantic States of the last- named, however, is so exceptional that it should be recorded only on incontrovertible evidence. As an aid to this end, we have selected this beautiful bird as the subject of Bird-Lore's Christmas Bird Plate, in which it appears life-size and in colors. We regret the necessity of stating that the photograph of a Loon published in our issue for October represents not a living, but a mounted bird. We should, however, add that the correspondent from whom we received the photograph believed it to be genuine.