Editorial 



109 



25trb=Hore 



A Bi-Monthly Magazine 

 Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds 



OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES 



Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



Contributing Editor. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT 



Published by D APPLETON & CO. 



Vol. XXIV Published April 1, 1922 No. 2 



SUBSCRIPTION RATES 



Price in the United States, one Hollar and fiftvrentsa year; 

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

 postage paid. 



COPYRIGHTED. 19=2, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



Bird-Lore's Motto: 

 A Bird in tbe Busb Is Worlb Two in tbe Hand 



A Magazine for young men has sent out a 



series of questions regarding the principal 

 requirements of various vocations, with the 

 object of securing information which mighl 

 be of service to its readers in choosing a 

 profession. We have been asked to reply to 

 these inquiries as an ornithologist, and. 

 believing that the readers of Bird-Lore will 

 have an especial interest in what we consider 

 to be the requirements of the profession of 

 ornithology, so far as they may be revealed 

 by these questions, we present our answers 

 to them below: 



REQUIREMENTS 



Physical. — A sound body no less than a 

 sound mind. 



Mental. — An inborn love for the study of 

 nature with so intense an interest in birds 

 that they, more than any other forms of life, 

 demand one's attention. Love of truth for 

 truth's sake: patience, accuracy, imagination, 

 and thoroughness in investigation; fairness 

 in making deductions: clearness and reason- 

 ableness in forming conclusions. 



Educational. — A good general education, 

 with at least a reading knowledge of German, 

 French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, 

 and for an American, ability to speak the 

 last named language. A general biological 

 training with work in botany, geology, 

 physical geography, and climatology, and 

 intensive studies in ornithology, including 

 embryology, anatomy, classification, zoogeog- 

 raphy, life-histories and the relation of a 

 bird to its organic and inorganic environment. 

 Social. — Tact, courtesy, and consideration 



for the perhaps wholly different viewpoint of 

 others promoting success in exploration; 

 sympathy with fellow-students and a desire 

 to impart information leading to success in 

 laboratory, classroom, and lecture-hall. 



Genera/.— Confidence in the value of one's 

 profession to mankind; definite research 

 problems with a carefully conceived plan of 

 study and a steadfast, persistent adherence 



toit. 



c ll \K \i TERISTIC CONDI riONS 



Nature of Work. — Includes the study of 

 evolution, zoogeography, economics, peda- 

 gogics, and aesthetics as they may be inter- 

 preted or expressed in the lives of birds; its 

 exact nature to he determined by the require- 

 ments of one's position, by opportunity, and 

 by preference. 



Environ mail. — Field, laboratory or cla>> 

 room, or all three. 



Personnel. — In the field, hunters, guides, 

 etc.; in the study in classroom, one's col- 

 leagues, assistants, or students. 



Experience. To be acquired in practice. 



Disadvantages. Inadequate remunera- 

 tion. The salary received may be sufficient 

 for one. but it is usually too small to meet 

 the requirements of a family. 



Advantages. Opportunity to follow one's 

 chosen calling; to gratify an insatiable desire 

 for research; to make work play, and, whether 

 indoors or out, daily to renew one's joy in life. 



Compensation. As a collector: From 

 expenses to $200 per month and expenses. 

 In the study: From $1,200 to $5,000 per 

 annum. 



Advancement. Not to be measured by 

 office standards but by the degree of success 

 achieved through one's labors. 



Social Service. Limited only by one's 

 belief in the value to man of contact with 

 Nature and by one's ability to prove that 

 Nature's beauty, joy, and freedom are most 

 eloquently expressed in the lives of birds. 



Related Occupations. To be deter- 

 mined by one's civic conscience. The Audu- 

 bon Societies, Nature-Study Clubs, Boy 

 Scouts, and allied organizations offer abun- 

 dant opportunity to practice as well as to 

 preach. 



