Editorials 



199 



A Bi-monthly Magazine 

 Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds 



OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES 



Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN 

 Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 



Vol. II DECEMBER, 1900 No. 6 



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COPYRIGHTED, 1900, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN. 



Bird-Lore's Motto: 

 A Bird in the Bush is IVorth Two in the Hand. 



1900 



1900 has been a red-letter year in the 

 annals of American Ornithology, and while 

 we do not propose to review in detail the 

 advances which have been made in various 

 departments of the science of birds, we 

 may count our blessings, as it were, by 

 summing up the more important features 

 of the year's work in the fields of scientific, 

 economic, popular, educational, legislative 

 and protective ornithology. 



In the field of science, Dr. Dwight's 

 studies on the molt of North American 

 birds constitute perhaps the most impor- 

 tant single contribution to ornithological 

 knowledge, and in combined faunal and 

 systematic work we may mention Dr. 

 Allen's and Mr. Bangs' papers on the birds 

 of the Santa Marta region in Columbia, 

 Mr. Stone's report on the Mcllhenny col- 

 lections from Alaska, a report on the 

 Peary Greenland collections secured by 

 the American Museum of Natural History, 

 Mr. Loomis' studies of California water 

 birds. Professor Beyer's ' Birds of Louisi- 

 ana,' the first part of Professor McCoun's 

 catalogue of Canadian birds, Dr. 'Bishop's 



' Birds of the Yukon River Region, ' and 

 Captain Reynaud's suggestive study of the 

 'Orientation of Birds.' 



In economic ornithology. Dr. Palmer's 

 ' Review of Economic Ornithology in the 

 United States ' and Professor Beal's ' Food 

 of the Bobolink, Blackbirds, and Crackles' 

 are notable papers. 



On the border line of scientific and 

 popular ornithology are the camera studies 

 of birds which not only present, in graphic 

 form, much that was previously known, 

 but add to our e.xisting stock of information. 

 The ready sale of the books on bird- 

 photography, the increasing demand for 

 popular literature relating to birds, the 

 call for lectures on birds culminating in 

 the inclusion of eight lectures in so repre- 

 sentative a course as that of the Lowell 

 Institute, all attest the growing interest in 

 popular ornithology. 



The rapid development of nature-study 

 and the important place accorded birds in 

 nature-study courses are well-known facts 

 which have been emphasized during the 

 past year by the inclusion of bird-study 

 in the Chautauqua course and in the com- 

 paratively technical course of instruction 

 given at the Woods Holl Marine Biological 

 Laboratory. Nor should we fail to men- 

 tion here the important educational work 

 of certain of the Audubon Societies. 



It is, however, in legislative and pro- 

 tective measures that the most important 

 developments of the year are to be found. 



Through the efforts of the Audubon 

 Societies the bird laws of several states 

 were greatly improved, and to the sen- 

 timent in favor of bird protection, for 

 which the Audubon Societies are so 

 largely responsible, in connection with 

 the united influence of other bird and 

 game protective associations, may in part 

 be attributed the passage by Congress of 

 the Lacey bill, doubtless the most impor- 

 tant act for bird protection ever enacted, 

 and for which every bird-lover cannot be 

 too grateful to Congressman Lacey, who, 

 in introducing and fighting for this bill, 

 did so not alone as a representative of his 

 constituents, but as a representative of 

 the birds. 



