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 THE CONDOR [ Vol. IV THE CONDOR. Bulletin of the COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB o CA,XOXrXA. Published hi-monthly at Santa Clara Cal., in the interests and as Official Organ of the Club. CHESTER BARLOW, Santa Clara, Cal., Editor and Business Manager. WALTER K. FISHER, Stanford University Cal. HOWARD ROBERTSON, Box 55, Sta. A., Los Angeles. Asseciates. Subscription, (in advance) One Dollar a Year. Single Copies, - ...... 25 Cents. Six Copies or more of one issue, - i2 Cents Each. Foreign Subscription, Free to Honorary Members and to Active Members not in arrears for dues. Advertising rates will be sent on application. Advertisements and subscriptions should be sent to the Business Managers. Exchanges should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief. Entered at the Santa Clara Post-office as second class matter. This issue of The Condor was mailed Jan. x6. EDITORIAL Signs Working as it is for the interests of and advancement of Californian the or.ithology, which is at present Times. prominently represented by the Cooper Ornithological Club, T COVOR trusts it will be pardoned for confining its edi- torial reflections largely to various phases of the Club's work, and again for perhaps stick- ing too closely to its text in this direction. The fact remains that the interests of a large Club membership must be served at all times, and these are as varied as they are important to the well-being of the organization. It appears, if we interpret the signs correctly, that there are scarelY any latent ornithological torces in California, and that a very great per- centage of tile active workers have been aroused and are now engaged in a general movement. Perhaps never betbre have so 'many individuals in the state been at work toward a general consolidation of intcrests as at the present time. The greater the force at work, the greater the general good which will result, and the closer these forces are united, the more potent will be the work accomplished. It would be hard to estimate in any sense the material re- suits of t. he work accmnplished by the Club within the nine years of its existence, but be that as it may, we know that a substantial or- ganization has been perfected, that a large number of formerly inactive ornithologists have been interested in the work, and that the Club while serving its purpose of concentrating the efforts of our older workers, offers also the best possible "training school" for the large number of ornithologists who rise up each year. Thus the intent and effects of the Club are progressive. Without reviewing its early history and sub- sequent progress, we may now believe that the Club bas thrown about itself the safe-guards necesqary to its permanent etablishment. And yet it has reached only the beginning of its usefidness! In this connection we may very properly consider the recent action of the Ameiican Ornithologists' Union with reference to its revisio. of inembership, since the natter presents several phases of especial interest to Californians. The retention of the limit of 5 Fellows seems altog6ther a wise re-consideration of the question, since this number seems ample to dictate the affairs of the Union. It is grati- fying that of the five new Fellows elected, one representative was given California. The creation of the intermediate class known as Members should satisfy those who have de- manded tile Separation of the true amateur or- nithologists from those who have but a nomi- nal, "popular" interest in. the study. While Members hay6 no voice in the affairs of the Union, the creation of this class seems a step nearer the solution of the vexed problem of membership. Of a possible 75, but 55 Mem- berswere elected, leaving 20 vacancies to be filled at future sessions. Of the 55 elected, the District of Columbia was allotted H, California came second with 9, Massachusetts thirt with 8, New York 6, Pennsylvania, 5, Connecticut, 3, and thirteen other states and territories one each. This action may be regarded as a sub- stantial endorsement of tbe activity amongst Californian workers, and in the creation of this condition the Club has been largely in- strumental. We have deemed it advisable to mention the adoption of three editorial rules which are con- sidered to contribute to uniformity and the better make-up of this magazine. All three refer to the names of animals or plants that may be published herein. . Hereafter the possessive s will be omitted ill all cases where it is now used in common names of animals and plants, unless a cantrib- utor expressly requests the retention of such possessive. This is by no means an innovation ill THE CONDOR, as it was introduced over a year ago, and several authors have since voluu- tarily adopted this form. The reason why Clare's crow is best written Clarke crow has been discussed elsewhere in this journal [CON- OR III, e, p. 5X], but suffice it to say here that the personal name is given in the sense of a dedication, no particular 'ownership being