Editorials 



205 



In the movement for bird protection much 

 activity of a practical kind has been shown. 

 The American Ornithologists' Union, 

 through Mr. Dutcher and Dr. Palmer, has 

 worked largely from the legal point of view, 

 in enforcing existing laws and securing the 

 enactment of new ones; while the Audubon 

 Societies have continued to develop the 

 educational side of their work, in which 

 everywhere there seems to be great interest. 



While, therefore, there have been no 

 especially remarkable developments in 1902, 

 the year has been one of most assuring 

 progress. 



Bird-Lore for 1903 



With its next issue Bird-Lore will enter 

 upon its fifth volume. Five years is not 

 usually considered an exceptionally long 

 period in the life of a magazine, but we 

 believe that there have been only five orni- 

 thological journals in this country which 

 have lived to see their fifth birthday, while 

 the number of those which have expired in 

 early youth is the despair of the bibliog- 

 rapher! The magazine of ornithology, 

 therefore, which lives to see its fifth year 

 has cause for congratulation, and may well 

 return thanks to those to whom its continued 

 existence is due. We want, however, to 

 express our thanks in some medium more 

 valuable than mere words, and as an earnest 

 of our desire to deserve the support which 

 has been so generously given us, we append 

 an outline of our plans for 1903. 



Probably no feature of Bird-Lore for 

 the coming year will create greater interest 

 than the publication of the portraits of the 

 members of the Advisory Council. Bird 

 men are sometimes almost as interesting as 

 birds, .that is, to other bird men familiar 

 with their accomplishments; and we are 

 assured that this photographic symposium 

 will have its practical bearing on the rela- 

 tions between the members of the Council 

 and those who avail themselves of their 

 assistance. 



The series of articles on Bird Clubs in 

 America will be continued by the publica- 



tion of historical accounts of the Spencer F. 

 Baird Club, by Mrs. Edward Robins, the 

 Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, by Pro- 

 fessor Brunei", and the Colorado Ornitholog- 

 ical Association, by Dr. Bergtald. 



William Brewster, Dr. J. Dwight, Jr., 

 and other well-known ornithologists will 

 write on American birds, Charles Keeler 

 will tell his impressions of some New Zea- 

 land birds and A. J. Campbell, of Mel- 

 bourne, will describe the remarkable nest- 

 ing habits of the mound-building birds of 

 Australia, illustrating his paper with the 

 first photographs of the mounds of these 

 birds to be published in this country. 



'Bird-Life on the Dry Tortugas,' by 

 Dr. Joseph Thompson, U. S. N., who is 

 resident at this stepping-stone of the birds 

 on their journey from Florida to western 

 Cuba, will include data on bird migration 

 as well as notes on the breeding habits of 

 the sea-birds, which come to the islands in 

 immense numbers to breed. The latter 

 portion of Dr. Thompson's paper will be 

 illustrated by photographs made by Dr. A. 

 M. Mayer. 



In view of the expected appearance of 

 Dr. Coues' new ' Key to North American 

 Birds,' the manuscript of which was com- 

 pleted before its author's death, an article 

 on the first (1872) edition of this epoch- 

 making work by its publisher, Prof. F. W. 

 Putnam, will be of peculiar interest. With 

 Professor Putnam's paper we will repro- 

 duce the proof of the first page of the system- 

 atic portion of the ' Key,' with many char- 

 acteristic annotations by Dr. Coues. 



Our plan to publish records of the mi- 

 gration of Warblers has been abandoned, 

 owing to our discovery, since announcing 

 the proposed publication of such data, that 

 Professor W. W. Cooke, of the Biological 

 Survey, has in preparation a bulletin on 

 this subject which will no doubt thoroughly 

 cover the ground. 



We expect, however, to publish a series 

 of papers on a study of birds during the 

 nesting season, which we believe will be 

 found to be of practical value. 



