26 BULLETIN No. 34. 



given to the schools, Hbraries, etc., few books were placed in 

 the hands of those for whom they were really intended. The 

 distribution is a standing disgrace to the Commonwealth. 

 Those who could afford to buy should they have cared for it, 

 were served first, with or without application. Zealous efforts 

 of persons with little political influence to secure copies were 

 rewarded by promises depending on this issuance of another 

 large edition, for fulfillment; or the receipt of copies of an act 

 prohibiting the killhig or taking of song or other wild birds, 

 except in certain cases and providing a penalty of a large fine 

 or imprisonment thereto. The Second Edition was said to have 

 been exhausted immediately after it came out, yet seven years 

 aft.r, two days before Christmas, 1897, I personally examined 

 and counted ninty -two perfectly new or unused copies at Leary's 

 Old Book Siore in Philadelphia. They were not ever m.arred 

 by the stamps of a State Official, As they had been on sale 

 for several weeks previous, many must have been disposed of 

 for attractive Christmas presents at a moderate cost, the price 

 being $3.50. it would be interesting to know the source from 

 whence they were procured. 



Following the appearance of the separate editions, the con- 

 servatism of the scientific reviewers was in marked contrast to 

 the extravagant praise bestowed upon the Author and his 

 work by the public press; we find the most radical and ignorant 

 of the reviewers comparing this work with that of Wilson and 

 Audubon. Owing to some unfortunate errors in identification 

 made by well meaning informants and the apparent neglect of 

 the Author to look mjre closely into statements at variance 

 with his experience, many local Ornithologists have, uncon- 

 siously perhaps, under-rated the Author and his work; which, 

 if not a model, is at least the equal of its kind. 



Governor Pattison having placed himself on record as op- 

 posing such bills, no more legislation was attempted in this 

 form until 1895, when the House Bill appropriating ^100,000, 

 for the publication of 24,000 copies reached the Governor after 

 having been reduced to $28,000, for the same number of copies 

 by the Senate. Rather unexpectedly vetoed by Governor 

 Hastings, there was some talk of passing it over his head as 



