26 



THE OSPEEY. 



THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated Magazine of Popular Ornithology. 



Published Monthly, except in July ami August, 



By the 



OSPREY PUBLISHING COMPANY. 



ELLIOTT COUES and THEODORE GILL. Editors. 



WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON. Associate Editor. 



LOUIS AGASSIZ FUERTES, Art Editor. 



Contributions of a relevant nature are respectfully soli- 

 cited, and should be addressed to Dr. CoUES. 173ti N Street 

 N. W., Washington, D. C. 



Subscription : In the United States, Canada and Mexico, 

 One Dollar a year, in advance. Single Copies, Ten Cents. 



Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Twenty-flve Cents. 

 Postage paid to all countries in the Postal Union. 



British agent : Frank A. Arnold, Mersham, Surrey, Eng- 

 land. 



Advertising rates sent on req-uest. 



Copyright. 1898. by the TheOsprey Publishing Company. 

 Entered as secoad-class matter at the Washington, D. 

 C, Post OfHce. 



Vol. III. 



OCTOBER. 1898. 



No. 2. 



Editorial Eyrie. 



TheOsi'Kev, beini? a migra- 

 tory bird, has Hown south- 

 ward from t: New York to 

 Washington this autumn, and 

 taken up its winter-quarters 

 in a new locality, of which it 

 proposes to btcouie a per- 

 manent resident. Tht moult- 

 ing process has proven some- 

 what severe and protracted 

 this season, and the app ur- 

 ance of the bird in its new 

 plumes has consequently been 



delayed. We beg indulgence for any traces of pin- 

 feathering which may be discovered in this issue, 

 feeling conlident that the renewal of plumage will 

 be perfected next month. 



Neither the change in the editorial staff of The 

 Obpkey, nor the transfer of the property to another 

 publishing company, involves any modification 

 whatever in the plan and purpose of the magazine. 

 Our aim will be, as heretofore, to make ornithology 

 popular, entertaining, and instructive, having the 

 technicalities of the science under the able wing of 

 that venerable fowl, The .Auk. We appeal to every 

 lover of live birds, to every student and observer of 

 birds' liabits, to every tield ornithologist and col- 

 lector, to every practical oologist, to every taxider- 

 mal artist, as well as to all that large and increasing 



portion of the public which is interested in the pres- 

 ervation of our native birds of song and beauty 

 from wanton destruction. We feel confident of our 

 ability to sustain this appeal by the readability of 

 our columns and the rare excellence of their profuse 

 illustration. Many of the best writers on birds are 

 already contributors to our pages, and we are assur- 

 ed of their continued cordial support. We also have 

 a large corps of younger contributors who are al- 

 ready winning laurels by preparing original articles 

 of marked merit. 



At the same time, we are not sanguine that, like 

 the little boy in the picture, we can make two plus 

 one equal to lour. The Ostrev's new lease of life de- 

 pends upon the subscription list. Our friends have 

 hitherto responded well, and we hope soon to double 

 their number. In that event, we shall immediately 

 enlarge the magazine. With twice our present num- 

 ber of subscribers we can print 32 instead of 10 

 pages monthly, without raising the price, besides 

 being able to iiay more liberally than heretofore for 

 tirst-rate articles. Any one now a subscriber can 

 easily obtain a new one for us, thereby securing for 

 himself, as well as for his friend, twice as many pages 

 as The Osprey now makes, without additional ex- 

 pense. New subscribers to Volume in will receive 

 the September number /i-cf. 



We also intend to begin, in an early number, the 

 publication of an entirely new popular yet scientific 

 treatise on the Bird.'; of Ahrlh America, in the form ot 

 a separately paged monthly supplement, profusely 

 illustrated. This great work our subscribers will re- 

 ceive gratis, as soon as their increase in number 

 justifies the expense of such an undertaking. 



The next issues of The Ospeey will be promptly 

 Ijulilished for November and December. They will in- 

 clude original, leading articles by some distinguished 

 ornithologists, one or more new plates by I'uerles, 

 and many other beautiful illustrations, besides a large 

 number of notes, news items, reviews, etc. 



The Sixteenth Congress of the American Orni- 

 thologists' Union, at Wa&hic-gton, D. C., November 

 H-17, was marked by a larger attendance than ever 

 before, and higher character of the papers presented. 

 Mr. Robert Ridgway was elected president, and Mr. 

 Charles B. Cory replaced him as vice-president. 

 There was no other change in officers. Mr. William 

 Palmer was chosen to active membership, and very 

 many new associate members were elected. The 

 Congress was followed by a protracted session of the 

 Committee on Nomenclature, which we understand 

 will result in more than one hundred additions to 

 and corrections of the names of birds in the Union's 

 presentiCheck-List, in gratifying evidence of progress 

 in the science of ornittiology, at the hands of its 

 most distinguished exponents. 



