Editorial 



345 



25irti=1Lore 



A Bi-Monthly Magazine 

 Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds 



OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES 



Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



ContributingEditor, MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT 



Published by D. APPLETON & CO. 



Vol- XIX Published December 1,1917 No. 6 



SUBSCRIPTION RATES 



Price in the United States, one dollar aud fifty cents a year ; 

 outside the United States, one dollar and seventy-five cents, 

 postage paid. 



COPYKIGHTED. I917, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



Bird-Lore's Motto: 

 A Bird in the Busb Is Worth Two in tbe Hand 



bird- migration begun by the late Professor 

 Cooke, will also continue the series of 

 papers in Bird-Lore interrupted by Pro- 

 fessor Cooke's sad and untimely death. 



The first paper in this second series 

 appears in this number. It treats of the 

 five species of Swallows figured in our 

 frontispiece. We plan later to present the 

 migration dates of the Martin and Barn 

 Swallow figured in Bird-Lore for Septem- 

 ber-October, in order that the migration 

 records of all our species of the highly 

 migratory, widely distributed, and easily 

 observed birds of this family may be 

 complete. 



Beyond question the most valuable and 

 useful information which Bird-Lore has 

 ever been privileged to present to its 

 readers is the series of papers on bird- 

 migration contributed by the late Wells 

 W. Cooke. 



Based upon the hundreds of thousands 

 of records made by volunteer observers 

 throughout the country for the Biological 

 Survey, these papers, in most instances, 

 are essentially complete outlines of the 

 routes and times of migration in North 

 America of a large proportion of our 

 passerine birds. 



From them we may learn when to look 

 for the birds in the spring, how long they 

 will remain with us, and when the fall 

 migrants and winter visitants will come 

 in the autumn; and all this, not at one 

 locality, but at a selected list of localities 

 covering the birds' North American range. 



These papers, therefore, tell us not only 

 when a certain bird should reach our own 

 vicinity, but give, as it were, a time-table 

 of its journey, which enables us to deter- 

 mine its rate of speed. Surely no informa- 

 tion could be of greater practical value to 

 the field-student who would be on the 

 alert to see every bird which visits his 

 region than that which is contained in 

 this unequaled series of papers. 



For this reason we announce, with 

 unusual satisfaction, that through the 

 courtesy of Mr. E. W. Nelson, Chief of the 

 Biological Survey, Dr. Harry C. Ober- 

 holser, who is continuing the studies of 



To this important announcement we 

 add only the assurance that the contents 

 of the twentieth volume of Bird-Lore 

 will depend closely upon the support 

 which is accorded it. To the serial papers 

 on migration, plumages, and season, and 

 the standing departments, we hope to be 

 in position to print all the interesting 

 articles and notes contributed by our 

 readers — contributions which have in- 

 creased in number and value as the 

 number and experience of our readers 

 has grown. 



Reference to the frontispiece of this 

 number should not be made without call- 

 ing especial attention to it as, in our 

 opinion, one of the most convincing 

 expressions of Mr. Fuertes' rare gifts with 

 which we are familiar. We do not refer 

 to the accuracy of detail and color, which 

 we expect in Fuertes' drawings, but to 

 the exceptional success which has here 

 attended his eflort to portray Swallow 

 character. Not only is each bird in the 

 plate a Swallow in every outward essential, 

 but also in those intangible qualities, so 

 diflicult to describe and still so obvious to 

 the experienced, observant bird-student. 

 Furthermore, the young Swallows, al- 

 though they are fully feathered, have an 

 unmistakably immature look, and finally, 

 the birds are so skilfully grouped that the 

 six figures do not appear to be unduly 

 crowded. One rarely sees a more attrac- 

 tive bird plate. 



