136 



If owners of Purple - caps would kindly give their 

 experience with them they would be doing a kindness to me 

 and possibly to many other bird lovers. 



W. F. SmiThwick. 



lEDitorial IRotes. 



^ai^wiNG to the great amount of work entailed by the offices 

 f^ of Secretary and Editor being conjoined, it has been 

 found impossible for one man any longer to combine 

 the two, while at the same time doing justice to the 

 claims of his own private professional work. As a matter of 

 fact Mr. Fillmer was onl}' able to do so, for so long as he did, 

 by making use of his own clerks to help him in the routine 

 business of the Club, including the publication and distribu- 

 tion of the Magazine. When Mr. Goodchild assumed the 

 duties it is true that he was somewhat relieved by the appoint- 

 ment of Messrs. W. T. Moulton as Publishers, but it must be 

 remembered that on the other hand he was already responsible 

 for the production of the beautiful illustrations which aie so 

 marked a feature of Bird Notes. 



Being entirely single-handed he has therefore desired the 

 Council to sever the offices. The Council, while regretting the 

 necessity, has acceded to his wish and at his further suggestion 

 lias appointed myself as Editor. 



No efforts will be spared to keep tlie Magazine up to the 

 standard it has already attained to, but these efforts on the 

 part of the Committee and staff must be seconded by the 

 members at large. In the first place we should like to see a 

 greater number of contributors of articles. Outside the ranks 

 of those who are well known as writers there are many of us 

 who could impart valuaiile experiences to our fellows if we 

 would. .Some aljstain probably through diffidence at appearing 

 in the unaccustomed guise of authorship. Let these take 

 lieart of grace and remember that everything has a beginning. 

 Some may be doubtful whether the}' possess a sufficiently 

 graceful style: — let these then tiike n iiovi de plume, ho\n the 

 shadow of which the)' can themselves compare their work 

 with that of the rest. Others perhaps think that what they know 

 may not be worth imparting ; our answer to these is that all 

 facts are worthy of knowledge, that knowledge is Science, and 

 that a paper so short as to contain but one fact, provided that 



