° 'iQiO J Notes and News. 489 



will depend largely on the cooperation of ornithologists in various parts 

 of the country, who are invited to contribute original notes or observations 

 relating to the life histories or habits of birds. The more important of 

 such contributions will be published in the contributor's own words and 

 on his authority. It may not be possible to publish everything contrib- 

 uted, but the material selected for publication will be so chosen as to make 

 the life history of the species as complete as possible and to illustrate 

 variations in habits throughout its range. 



Subspecies will be given secondary rank; that is, each species will be 

 treated as a whole so far as its habits are not affected by variation in its 

 environment; but, under proper sub-headings, any traits or habits peculiar 

 to the different subspecies will be clearly set forth, as well as any variations 

 in habits due to changes in environment. This method seems preferable 

 to treating each subspecies separately, which gives the subspecies too 

 much prominence and requires much needless repetition regarding com- 

 mon traits. 



The nomenclature and the sequence of the new Check-List of the Ameri- 

 can Ornithologists Union will be followed as closely as possible, beginning 

 with the Grebes. Other methods of classification have been suggested 

 but it seems best to follow the standard officially adopted by American 

 ornithologists, with which all of us are more or less familiar. 



The first volume will probably contain the Pygopodes, Longipennes, 

 Tubinares, Steganopodes and Anseres. Unfortunately these orders in- 

 clude a great many species about which very little is known, notably many 

 of the Arctic species; although the Arctic journals of some of the earlier 

 explorers contain much valuable unpublished material, it is more or less 

 fragmentary and far from satisfactory for the purpo.ses of this work. Ex- 

 peditions to all the remote regions of North America to gather material, 

 photographs and notes especially for this work, would consume a vast 

 amount of time and money, more than any one man could devote to it 

 in a lifetime. The necessity for cooperation is apparent if the work is to 

 be completed within a reasonable time. 



The author will be glad to correspond with any ornithologist, or any 

 careful observer of birds, who would like to become a contributor, and 

 would be glad to suggest methods of study which will give us the informa- 

 tion most needed to fill the gaps in our present knowledge. Ample time 

 will be given to each observer to study carefully the life histories of a lim- 

 ited number of species which are most readily accessible. 



In addition to the excellent colored plates of the eggs, which were such 

 a prominent feature of Major Bendire's work, it is proposed, provided 

 sufficient funds are available at the time of publication, to still further 

 enrich the work by adding a series of reproductions of the best photo- 

 graphs obtainable, illustrating breeding colonies, nesting sites, nests, 

 eggs and young at various stages of development, of as many species as 

 possible. The author already has a large series of such photographs but 



