44 



THE OSPEEY. 



THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated Magazine iif I'npular Ornitliolngy. 



Published Monthly, except in July and 



August, by the 



OSPRRY PUBLISHING COMPANY. 



ELLIOTT COUES and THEODORE GILL, Editors, 



WALTER ADAMS JOHNSON, Associate Editor. 



LOUIS AGASSIZ FUERTE3, Art Editor. 



Cor.trihutions of a relevant nature are respectfully so- 

 licited, and should be addressed to Dr. Cover, 1726 N Street 

 N. W., Washington, D. C. 



Subscription: In the I'nited States, Canada and Mexico, 

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



Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Tvventy-flve Cents. 

 Postage paid to all countries in the Postal Union. 



British Agent: Krank A. Arnold, Mersham, Surrey, Eng- 

 land. 



Advertising rates sent on request. 



Entered as second-class matter at the Washington, D. C, 

 Post Office. 



Vol. in. 



NOVEMBER. 1893. 



No. 3. 



Editorial Eyrie. 



liSIlCB>*> 



O SEVERE has proven 

 to be the moulting 

 process of The Os- 

 I'REY this autumn that 

 at one time ^ve feared 

 it might be fatal. But 

 the bird's soutid con- 

 stitution has devel- 

 oped staying powers 

 equal to the unfor- 

 seen emergency 

 forced upon it by an 

 .struggled in '"j"!!!'; 

 before 



seven weeks 



unlucky pi'inter who 

 Osprey's <-kiws" for 

 he succeedeil in producing- the October 

 number. In this protracted su.spense the 

 editors have experienced all the ameni- 

 ties and asperities of the occasion, rang- 

 ing through the whole gamut of correspond- 

 ence, from tender solicitude for the welfare of 

 the bird to threats of legal prosecution for the 

 recovery of one dollar, jjaid for subscription 

 to the current volume. We can only say to 

 our friends that if any one of them feels worse 

 than we do about it, he has our heartfelt sym- 

 pathy. We trust that the appearance of the 

 present number will, in a measure, allay all 

 doubts for the future. We also trust that, 



shoidd a similar accident hapjien again, all 

 who feel grieved will proceed to roast the pub- 

 lishers and .spare the editors. The latter are 

 not angels, but they have "done their level 

 best," and it is well known that "angels could 

 do no more." The December number is in 

 press, and the issue for .January is nearly 

 ready. Both will equal, if they do not surpass, 

 the present number, in excellence and variety 

 of contents and beauty of the illustrations. 



One of the most important enterprises ever 

 undertaken in ornithology has just been 

 brought to a successful conclusion, by the ap- 

 pearance of Volume xxvi of the Catalogue of 

 Birds of the British Museum, with detailed de- 

 scriptions and copious synonymy of some 11,- 

 500 species, based on examination of nearly 

 400.000 specimens, and illustrated with 387 col- 

 ored plates. We shall have more to say of this 

 great work hereafter. 



We learn with pleasure that the Cooper Or- 

 nithological Club, of California, will hereafter 

 issue its own official organ, either bimonthly 

 or quarterly, thus enabling it to print its 

 proceedings and papers in full. This is doubt- 

 less the wisest course the Club could have 

 taken, and the new publication has oxir hearty 

 g-ood wishes. The Ospkey has always appreci- 

 ated the many excellent contributions to its 

 columns by members of the Club, and only re- 

 grets that the pressure upon its space made it 

 impossible to do them full justice. 



Mr. Charles B. Cory, Vice-President of the 

 American Ornithologists' Union, has shown us 

 a complete set of proofs of his new work, the 

 Birds of Eastern North America, profusely and 

 beautifully illustrated, upon the same plan 

 that has proven so successful in the cases of 

 two previous works upon the Shore Birds and 

 Water Fowl. We hope for the speedy publica- 

 tion of this admirable treatise, which we 

 imagine will become very popidar. 



The Oologist, a monthly publication devoted 

 to oology, ornithology and taxidermy, reaches 

 us promptly as usual. This is an old favorite, 

 now finishing its fifteenth volume with No. 

 149. It is publi.shed at Albion, N. Y., by Frank 

 H. Lattin, and the subscription is only 50 cents 

 a year. 



We hear of a project to establish a new bi- 

 monthly magazine of ornithology in New 

 York. but as we are not informed in any of the 

 particulars, we can prophesy better after than 

 before the appearance of the first number. 



We regret to learn that Lieutenant John W. 

 Daniel's military duties have obliged him to 

 abandon his proposed magazine of ornithology 

 and oology. 



