THE OSPREY. 



43 



THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated Magazine of Popular Ornithology. 

 Published Monthly, 



By 



to many teachers, and hence extend it our hear- 

 tiest greeting. 



"The Bittern" is published by Glen M. Ha- 

 thorn, at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and appears as 

 Vol. 1. No. 1. We received a humble little copy 

 of a predecessor under the same title from the 

 same source in June. 1900, a small 16mo. of 

 eighteen p.iues. and are pleased to note the in- 

 crease in size to the regular 8vo. of sixteen 

 pages. The Bittern contains a number of good 

 articles, and is also illustrated bv halftones. 



THE OSPREY COMPANY. 



Edited by Theodore Gill and Paul Bartsch in collabo- 

 ration with Robert Ridgway, LeonhardStejneger. Fri 

 A Lucas. Charles W. Richmond. William Palmer and 

 Hurry C. Oberholser of Washington, and Witmer Stout of 

 Philadelphia. 



Contributions of a relevant nature are respectfully soli - 

 cited, and should be addressed to The OSPREY Company' 

 3*1-323 434 Street X. W., Washington. D. C. 



Subscription: In the United States I anada and Vf< 



One Dollar a year, in advance. Single Copies. Ten < tents, 

 Foreign Subscription: One Dollar and Twenty-five C< 



Postage paid to all countries in the r">t al Union. 

 Advertising rates sent on request. 



Entered as seco*ad-class matter, by The Osprey Com- 

 pany at the Washington, D. C, Post Office. 



January and February 1901. 



Comments. 



NEW ORNITHOLOGICAL MAGAZINES. 



Three new magazines devoted to popular 



ornithology have made their appearance with 

 the advent of the new year and century. The 

 Petrel, American Ornithology and The Bit- 

 tern. 



"The Petrel" hails from Palestine, Oregon, 

 the last place on earth in which we would have 

 looked for such a bird. It is edited by John 

 William Martin, and is promised to be a monthly 

 visitor. The first number is a neat copy, con- 

 sisting of sixteen pages, 8vo., containing a 

 number of very readible articles, and is prettily 

 illustrated by halftone reproductions of photo- 

 graphs. We extend our best wishes to this 

 strayed member of the family. 



"American Ornithology" is edited and pub- 

 lished by Chas. K. Reed of Worcester, Mass. 

 It is also an 8vo. of sixteen pages, and is chiefly 

 devoted to descriptions and halftone figures 

 of American Birds and their eggs. We believe 

 that this little magazine will prove acceptable 



-l I KKILl'ITY OF ORNITHOLOGICAL MAGAZINES. 



Almost if notquite every year, for many years. 

 ist one new magazine devoted to popular 

 ornithology has been started and often more 

 than one. The question naturally arises, cut 

 bono? for what new purpose or end is it inten- 

 ded/ As a rule, those who start the new maga- 

 zines are very young and think they have some 

 iaJ information which the world ought to 

 possess, but for which there is no mouthpiece. 

 They wanl to se themselves in print— they 

 overflow with a zeal to make themselves heard. 

 They believe the world will be eager to hear 

 them. All they have to deliver maybe given, 

 however, in one or two numbers. They then 

 become exhausted of intelligence, and perhaps 

 of money, and the new journal dies of inanition; 

 occasionally a few more numbers are issued — 

 generally much to the detriment of their own 

 pockets and the patience of themselves and their 

 friends. This form of mania at least in its 

 virulent form i> mostly confined to the United 

 States. In other coutries it is very little de- 

 veli iped. 



I >' mbtless a certain enjoyment and some intel- 

 lectual excercise are derived from the form of 

 divertissement in question; nobody isseriouslj 

 injured, as a rule, and we have no good reason 

 to object. The cost may inconvenience some of 

 the projectors, but it may be regarded as an 

 outlay for education. The only one to seriously 

 object is the bibliographer. How shall he treat 

 the.^e numerous candidates for popular favor.' 

 Shall he consider all the notes and articles con- 

 tained in them seriously or ignore them? Once 

 in a while a newly discovered isolated fact or 

 feature is made known or a long known one 

 shown up in a new relation. To go through 

 all the great mass of verbiage to discover such. 

 however, involves much loss of time. So say- 

 some of the older ornithologists! Let us hope, 

 however, that any such consequences may be 

 offset by the pleasure derived by the projectors in 

 their work or amusement — whatever you will; 



