Editorials 



A Bi-monthly Magazine 

 Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds 



OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THK AUDUBON SOCIETIES 



Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN 

 PubUshed by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 



Vol. VII Published June 1. 1905 No. 3 



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Price ill the United States, Canada and Mexico 

 twenty cents a number, one dollar a year, post- 

 age paid. 



COPYRIGHTED. 1905. BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



Bird-Lore's Motto: 

 M Bird in the Bush is IVorth Two in the Hand 



In the last number of Bird-Lore, Mr. 

 Otto Widmann makes an eloquent plea for 

 the selection of the Hummingbird as the 

 national bird. While we freely admit the 

 truth of all that Mr. Widmann so pleasingly 

 says of this exquisite little creature, the fact 

 that it is essentially lacking in the preemi- 

 nently bird-like characteristic of song 

 should, to our mind, unquestionably pre- 

 vent its selection as the bird of America. 



Such a bird should, primarily, it seems to 

 us, possess a song which, because of its 

 musical quality or association with the 

 singer's haunts or seasons, endears it to 

 every nature lover; it should be a bird of 

 wide distribution during the nesting season 

 in order that it may be generally known 

 not only as a song bird but as a home bird; 

 it should be an abundant or, at least, a 

 common bird; it should be typically Ameri- 

 can, and, as Mr. Widmann says, it should 

 possess suf^cient distinction of form and 

 marking to be readily recognized in a figure. 



Among other species whose claims to the 

 honorable position of national bird have 

 been urged by writers to Bird-Lore are the 

 Dove, the Song Sparrow and the Robin. 



The Dove conforms to most of the re- 

 quirements set forth above ; indeed, it is 

 perhaps our most generally distributed 

 breeding bird, but its song is too mournful, 

 it does not express that joyousness which we 

 expect to hear from nature's minstrels. 



For a large part of our country there can 

 be no doubt that the Robin more nearly 



fills the place of national bird than any 

 other, but we have to remember that in the 

 West the Robin is not the familiar, dooryard 

 bird we in the East are accustomed to find it, 

 while throughout the southern tier of states 

 it is only a winter visitant, usually songless, 

 and known chiefly as a basis for potpies. 



The Song Sparrow, dear as he is to every 

 bird-lover, too closely resembles some other 

 birds in form and markings to make an ac- 

 ceptable subject for illustration in this con- 

 nection, and, as we look through the list of 

 North American birds, species after species 

 is rejected for one or more reasons, until 

 there is left, apparently, but one bird which 

 fills all the conditions we have imposed, and 

 that bird is — the Meadowlark. 



Including under this name all the forms of 

 this species, we have a breeding range reach- 

 ing from northern South America to Canada, 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and through- 

 out this vast area the bird is generally dis- 

 tributed and sufficiency abundant to be well 

 known. As a songster the Meadowlark needs 

 no praise ; some writers, in fact, give the 

 western form first place among our song- 

 birds ; his Americanism is so far beyond 

 dispute that he cannot claim even family 

 relationship outside of this hemisphere ; 

 while in form and coloration he is equally 

 distinguished. Hail, then, to the Meadow- 

 lark ! He has our vote. 



The season is at hand for the study of the 

 home-life of birds, and we again earnestly 

 ask assistance in securing notes on the nest- 

 ing habits of Warblers for our proposed 

 Book of the Warblers.' A series of defi- 

 nite observations on one species will be far 

 more welcome and valuable than casual 

 notes on the occurrence of many. 



To our unbounded satisfaction the Ba- 

 haman government has passed a law pro- 

 tecting all song and insectivorous birds 

 throughout the year, while for the Flamingo 

 and some other species a close season has 

 been established. 



During May and June the Editor expects 

 to be in England, attending the International 

 Ornithological Congress, and he begs the 

 indulgence of correspondents during this 

 period. 



