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 3 2 THE CONDOR VoL. VII THE CONDOi An Illustkatked Magazine of Weslorn 0rnilholo8y Published Bi-monfbly by fhe Cooper Ornifholoi- eal Club o California WALTEI K. FIHEI, Edifor, Palo Alfo JOSEPH GIINNELL, Business Manager and Associate Editor, Pasadena l. E. HODGiA, Associate Editor ticle in two portions, but the concluding instal- ment will be in the next issue. The same is true for Mr. Swarth's paper. Indeed we have been so crowded this month that the title page for volume VII must be deferred till November. Last year we printed it as a part of the first is- sue. Prof. Cooke's article was read at the twenty-second Congress of the A. O. U., Novem- ber 29th. It is not a pleasant task to be continually harping on the money question but the printer, unfortunately, has to pay his help. Consider- = :' ..... ' ' ' '- ' -" ing the excellent work that he is now turning Palo Alto, California: Published Jan. 17, 1905 out, club members should make it a matter of . . .......... _ .... : ........ . .... pride to be prompt with dues. The same re- SUBSCRIPTION RATIOS Price in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and U.S. Colonies one dollar a year; single copies twenty-five cents. Price in all countries in the International Postal Union one dollar and a quarter a year. Subscriptions should be sent to the Business Manager; manuscripts and exchanges to the Editor. EDITORIAL NOTES ( 6bnlinued) have no conuection whatever with museums or institutions of any sort. Examine the list of field ornithologists who contributed to Bendire's "Life Histories." Few are of the class Mr. Seton would endow with special privileges. Scan the last volume of The luk. What pro- portion of articles are contributed by men con- nected with museums as compared with those who are not! Practically all the ornithologists west of the Mississippi would go out of commis- sion if this sentiment prevailed. With legiti- mate bird protection we have perfect and un- qualified sympathy, but we have little patience with the wild flights of ultra-enthusiasts. As we hinted above this idea is not new by any means. It has come from high places and is having a little effect on the younger generation. If the discouragement of the gun leads to a closer study of the life histories, well and good, but practical experience teaches that the gun should not be abandoned, as is so ofteu advo- cated. The substitution of "total abstineuce" for the old time method is likely to have one serious result, which is already being slightly felt. It favors a growth of the rankest sort of dilletantism; and if the "new and proper" ten- denency is to prevail will we not in time have the serious ornithologist giving way to what Dr. Coues might have termed a "superficial ornitho- phile"? Of course we do not favor that every Thomas, Richard, and Henry shall be allowed unlimited freedom with firearms but we do think the uncousidered condemnation of the gun about a century premature. Owing to demands on available space it has been necessary to omit several pages of reviews which were intended for this number, as well as the usual "From Field and Study," and the directory of club members. The last two, at any rate, will appear in March. We regret having been obliged to publish Mr. Keyes's at- mark applies to subscribers, who are receiving THE CONDOR at bare cost price. We would have no occasion for these observations had not the business manager sent us recently a pitiful wail concerning editorial extravagance, ending with the assertion that he could not collect funds as fast as we are determined to spend them. He further assures us that money is coming in slowly. If the members and sub- scribers wish us to maintain the present stand- ard they will have to do their part. Besides, pity the business manager; his is a hard lot, managing an extravagant editor. There is no reason why we should not have 400 members as well as 225, our present num- ber. If every member would sendus one name the trick could be done in a jiffy. The growth of the club is due to the alertness of about 5 people. That all the bird people in the west are not enrolled in very evident. lill not every member who reads this make a resolulion 1o send us one new name before the JFIarch meet- ing? It is very easily done, and will mean a better magazine and a larger one. Friends of the California Academy of Sciences will be glad to know that the amendment to the Constitution of California exempting the institution from taxation received about ,ooo majority of favorable notes. The exact figures are: for the amendment, 73,207; against, 62,275. The annual dinner, announced in the last is- sue, was held at Jules's Restaurant, 35 Pine St., San Francisco, January 4, at 7 e.M. An ac- count of the meeting will appear in the next issue. Messrs. Joseph Mailliard and Joseph Grinnell spent a portion of the Christmas holidays or- nithologizing near Victorville, California. Mr. William L. Finle._gave two lectures il- lustrated with lantern slides at the meeting of the A. O. U. in Cambridge. Mr. Finley is now at Santa Monica. Members who notice errors in their address will do well to send a card of correction before the publication of the directory in the next number. A remarkable series of flamingo photographs and a very interesting article are contributedto the December Cetr by Mr. Frank M. Chap- man, a member of the Cooper Club and Editor of Bird-Lore.