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 THE CONDOR THE CONDOR. Bulletin of the COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB O1 CtlII*O Rl'It. 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 C'd. HOWARD ROBERTSON, Box 55, Sta. A., Los Angeles. Associates. Subscription, (in advance) One Dollar a Year. Single Copies, - ...... 25 Cents. Six Copies or more of one issue, 2 Cents Each. Foreign Subscription, - ..... $L25 ' 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 Codor was mailed EDITORIAL. Pacific Coast Aviauna zVo. 3, consisting of 'A Check-list of California Birds' by Joseph Grinnell, was mailed to paid-up active Club members on July I7. Delinquent members may secure the checklist by remitting their dues for I9o3. Without considering the weighty questions of synonymy, nomenclature and the like, the present checklist must prove abundantly useful to those whose labors are cast in Californian fields. Perhaps the amateur ornithologist will experience his chief delight in the realization that he can 'place' the song sparrow or towbee of his locality with some deree of accuracy-- granting that the claims for the existence of all the recognized subspecies are valid--and we believe they have been thoroughly worked out by the author of the checklist. To those who occasionally delve into the earlier publications on California birds, Mr. Grinnell's synonymy will prove exceedingly useful in locatin a bird under its old name. Considering the aid unquestionably rendered the amateur by this list, it behooves Califor- nian workers to adopt it for future work. Such action would cast no odium on the standard American checklist; it is question of utility and to the average Californian the Club checklist offers the best handle by which to grasp the all- important question of distribution. Mr. Grinnell's effort is therefore of distinctly great assistance to Californians. In justice to its author we may state that the entire proof of the checklist was read and the work seen through the press by Mr. Grinnell in person. Vol. IV In our last issue we had occasion to refer to a mis-labeled CONDOR illustration which had ap- peared in Mnerican Ornithology. We have received a communication from Mr. H. T. Bohlman, of Portland, Oregon, owner of the photograph, in which he states that a series of prints had been sent Mr. Reed with instruc- tions not to publish them without further ar- rangement. It is further represented that Mr. Reed lacked an illustration to accompany an article on the purple grackle and that the print of a group of young Brewer blackbirds was used to fill the void, the title being conven- iently changed. Club members and subscribers are requested to promptly notify this office of change of ad- dress. Such changes are promptly and cheer- fully noted, but we can assume no responsibil- ity for supplying back numbers where such no- tice is not given. COMMUNICATIONS. To THE EDITOR: With your permission I wish to say a word tothe readers of T}E CONDOR and especially to those who are citizens of, as well as ornithol- ogists in the states of California, Oregon, Nev- ada and Utah. Mr. Bailey in the last paragraph of his article "Unprotected Breeding Grounds" in the May- June number of T}: CONDOR, sounds a note of warning in regard to certain of the marsh and water birds, but especially of the grebes; his statement that thousands of grebe skins are shipped from one lake alone can be verified by a visit during the winter months to any of the great cities of the north and east where anyone can see large numbers of muffs and shoulder capes made entirely of grebe skins, and other garments, as well as bonnets trimmed with them. The writer has counted as many as thirteen grebe breasts in one shoulder cape. As the Chairman of the National Committee of Audubon Societies I appeal to the bird stu- dents of the four states in question to take this matter in hand at once and see that steps are taken to have good bird laws passed at the next sessions (9o3) of the legislatures of the four states named. There is barely four months yet before the several legislatures will assemble, which is only too short a period in which to create a sentiment in favor of bird protection and good bird legislation. If such legislation cannot be secured during the next sessions no other opportunity will be offered until i9o5, and in the interval of two years untold damage to the birds of California, Oregon, Nevada and Utah will be done. Very truly yours, WM. DUTCHER, Chin. Nat'l. Corn. Aud. Societies. New York City, June Io, i9o.