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Bird - Lore 



tions of birds to the farmer is to consider 

 birds as servants, employed to destroy 

 weeds and insects. In return for this 

 service they should be protected, and 

 such as need it should receive a fair 

 equivalent in the shape of fruit and 

 small grain. Nothing can be more certain 

 than that, except in a few cases, any 

 farmer who is willing to pay the toll 

 collected by birds for actual services 

 rendered will be greatly benefited. In the 

 long run, no part of the capital invested 

 in farm or orchard is more certain to pay 

 big interests than the small sum required for 

 the care and protection of birds." This is 

 the statement of a man who for over twenty 

 years has devoted himself continuously to 

 a minute study of the food of birds, both 

 in the field as well as in the laboratory, 

 and who doubtless knows more about the 

 subject than any dther man. — F. M. C. 



The Ornithological Magazines 



The Condor: — Two numbers of 'The 

 Condor' have appeared since the last 

 review. The opening article of the May 

 number, by Milton S. Ray, bears the 

 somewhat ambitious title 'Literary and 

 Other Principles in Ornithological Writ- 

 ing.' The author objects strongly to the 

 publication of descriptions of species 

 in Latin instead of English, considers it 

 a mistake to abbreviate any Latin name, 

 and favors "set vernacular names based 

 on the true relationship of birds." He 

 adds: "I am opposed to calling, for in- 

 stance, a Falcon a Sparrow Hawk, or 

 a Turkey Vulture a Turkey Buzzard, 

 simply because the latter names are the 

 most familiar to the general public. 

 The public needs education, not mis- 

 information." The futility of attempting 

 to foist book names in the public, to re- 

 place names in general use, has been 

 demonstrated too frequently to require 

 illustration. In this, as in several other 

 matters, the point of view is merely 

 personal, as shown by the occurrence of 

 the pronoun I forty-five times in the 

 course of the article. Readers will doubt- 

 less find other points of interest, espe- 



cially, the effort "to show that the posses- 

 sion of the poetic temperament does not 

 necessarily incapacitate one for scientific 

 work," and the accompanying illustra- 

 tion in the form of an original poem on 

 the 'Birds of the Farallones.' 



H. Tullsen contributes an extended 

 paper on 'My Avian Visitors: Notes from 

 South Dakota;' Mrs. Myers has a brief 

 article on the 'Nesting Habits of the 

 Western Flycatcher' in the San Gabriel 

 Caiion, Los Angeles county, Cal.; 

 and John E. Thayer an important ac- 

 count of 'A Nesting Colony of Heer- 

 mann Gulls and Brewster Boobies' on 

 Ildefonso Island, Lower California. The 

 definite location of one of the breeding- 

 places of Heermann's Gull is a matter 

 of considerable interest. 



The July number contains four im- 

 portant papers. Loye Miller's 'Synopsis 

 of Our Knowledge Concerning the Fossil 

 Birds of the Pacific Coast' is very brief, 

 but shows that the avian fossils thus 

 far studied from eight different hori- 

 zons include 115 species. A Flamingo 

 formerly ranged as far north as Oregon, 

 and a Peacock, a Stork, and a Jabiru 

 occurred in southern California. Miss 

 Louise Kellogg's account of 'A Collec- 

 tion of Winter Birds from Trinity and 

 Shasta Counties, California,' contains 

 some valuable notes on the winter birds 

 of a little-known region. 



In 'Nesting Notes on the Ducks of the 

 Barr Lake Region, Colorado,' Rockwell 

 shows that eleven species breed in this 

 locality. Of these the Green-winged 

 Teal, Pintail, Redhead, and Canvas- 

 back are additions to the list, and will 

 be treated at length in a future paper. 

 Van Rossen's 'Winter Birds of the Salton 

 Sea Region' comprises two briefly an- 

 notated lists, one of loi species found in 

 midwinter, and the other of 72 species 

 found at Mecca during the last two 

 weeks of March. 



The number closes with a Directory 

 of the Members of the Cooper Ornitho- 

 logical Club, containing the names and 

 addresses of five honorary and 369 active 

 members. — T. S. P. 



