94 



THE OS PREY. 



THE OSPREY. 



An Illiistrate<l Magazine of Popular Ornithology. 

 Published Monthly. 

 By 

 THE OSPREY COMPANY. 



Edited by Theodore Gill and Paul Hansen, in collabo- 

 ration with Robert Ridgway, LeonhardSlejneger, Frederic 

 A Lucas. Charles W Richmond, William Palmer and 



Harry C. Oberholser of Washington, and VVitmer Stone of 

 Philadelphia 



Contributious of a relevant nature -are respectfully soli- 

 cited, and should be addressed to The OSPREY COMPANY' 

 3-J1-3-33 4J4 Street N. W., Washington. D. C. 



Subscription : In the United stab's < anada ami Mexico, 

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



Foreign Subscription: nne Dollar and Twenty-live c.-nts 

 Postage paid to all count ries in the Postal Cnion. 

 Advertising rates sent on request. 



Entered as secoxd-class matter by The OSPREY Com- 

 pany at the Washington. D. c Post I Imce 



Vol. V. 



JUNE. 1001. 



Comments. 



THE TREND OF THE POPULAR ORNITHOLOGICAL 

 M VGAZINE. 



We were recently called upon to consult a copy 

 of one of the popular bird papers published some 

 twenty years ago, and were much surprised to 

 note the difference between this and the more 

 recent productions belonging' to the same 

 category. 



Judging from a comparison of these copies it 

 would seem as if a truce had been framed be- 

 tween man and the birds, fed' our magazines are 

 no longer bulletins from the field of battle, relat- 

 ing how John managed to kill by his superior 

 prowess and latest improvement in shooting 

 iron, so and so many birds. Or how "A" side of 

 the S. Field Club managed to bag twenty more 

 birds in their cross-country tramp than "B" side 

 and thus win the honors of the day at the cost 

 of many a happy, useful life. Nor do they chro- 

 nicle glorified accounts of hundreds of egg's 

 taken and bird homes destroyed. Such records 

 as these, if at all made to-day. are kept as con- 



scientiously as state secrets, and do not longer 

 stain the pages of our magazines. The blood 

 and thunder days together with those of the 

 embryo hook, have given way or are giving 

 way to the more esthetic side of bird study. 

 We seem to be emerging above the mere collect- 

 ing or amassing craze, and are beginning to 

 view the birds from a more philosophic stand- 

 point. Instead of killing or robbing them, we 

 bid them welcome to our lawns and shrubbery, 

 and enjoy far more keenly the gold of the oriole's 

 breast as he swings near his pendant nest and 

 voices his happiness and delight than we 

 cherish either nest or bird locked up with numer- 

 ous others in the dark confines of our closet or 

 the bird in a pot-pie. 



Another very striking difference is the change 

 in illustrations. In the days gone by they were 

 entirely lacking" or when present usually of the 

 wood-cut kind, while to-day we have most beau- 

 tiful pictures of birds and their homes, abso- 

 lutely true to nature (forthe camera is said to 

 tell no lie, I accompanying our sketches. 



The reduction of camera prices has created a 

 new field. Bird-photography, a most delightful 

 field, one which has caused many a person to 

 exchange his gun for this implement whose 

 victims are never injured, and the game if well 

 shot, is an everlasting pleasure. 



We hope that these improvements of our 

 magazines are an index to human nature and 

 will continue in the direction which they seem 

 t" follow at present. 



Dr. Theodore N. Gill, the chief editor of the 

 OSPREYisat present enjoying a tour abroad. 

 He sailed from New York on the "City of Rome." 

 June 1st. and arrived in Glasgow, Scotland on 

 the 9th. 



Doctor Gill represents the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution and the National Academy of Sciences, 

 at the Jubilee celebration of the four hundred 

 and fiftieth aniversary of the University of 

 Glasgow and bears with him formal congratu- 

 lations of both institutions, the one of the 

 Smithsonian being a beautifully engrossed 

 copy, done by Tiffany & Co. of New York. 



Doctor Gill will visit the principal cities of 

 Scotland and England, then make a trip to the 

 continent, do Norway and Sweden, after that 

 lie will call upon some of his scientific friends 

 in Germany, France and Switzerland, and after 

 a short visit t.. the zoological station at Naples 

 will return to Washington. 



We wish the Doctor a very pleasant trip. 



