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Bird -Lore 



^irti'llore 



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. V 



Published April 1. 1903 



No. 2 



SUBSCRIPTION RATES 



Price in the United States, Canada and Mexico 

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

 age paid. 



Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, at 

 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or 66 Fifth avenue. New 

 York City. 



Price in all countries in the International Postal 

 Union, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar and 

 a quarter a year, postage paid. 



COPYRIGHTED, 1903, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



Bird-Lore's Motto: 

 A Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand 



The editor desires to express his gratitude 

 to the many friends whose hearty commen- 

 dations of Bird-Lore, on the occasion of 

 its fifth birthday, have indeed been deeply 

 appreciated. 



Accepted vs. Rejected Manuscripts 



Many of Bird-Lore's readers are kind 

 enough to send to the editor carefully pre- 

 pared accounts of their observations afield, 

 for the offer of which we are truly grateful, 

 but many of which, we regret to say, we 

 are compelled to return. Long articles 

 lack of space usually forces us to refuse, but 

 many shorter ones are rejected because, in 

 our opinion, they do not possess sufficient 

 merit to be worthy of publication. 



It is not possible to state in each instance 

 why a certain article is not deemed desir- 

 able, and we shall therefore attempt to ex- 

 plain here, at least in a general way, the 

 requisites of an acceptable contribution to 

 Bird-Lore's pages. 



While Bird-Lore does not publish 

 technical papers on systematic ornithology, 

 it nevertheless claims to be a scientific 

 journal. That is, it is devoted to a recog- 

 nized branch of science and aims to sive its 



readers (i) original observations possessing 

 scientific value. These may be novel in 

 character or they may confirm previously 

 recorded observations; (2) practical assis- 

 tance in the study of birds and suggestions 

 as to subjects and methods; (3) general 

 information in regard to recent ornithologi- 

 cal publications and editorial discussion of 

 current events and matters of general in- 

 terest ; (4) articles and reports relative to 

 bird protection. 



To be more specific, let us examine the 

 contents of the last issue of Bird-Lore, 

 published before this editorial was thought, 

 of. It includes the following articles: 

 (i) 'The Mound-building Birds of Au- 

 stralia,' contains much information in 

 regard to the singular nesting habits of 

 these birds, and is largely based on original 

 observations; (2) 'Making Bird Friends,' 

 description of methods employed in taming 

 wild birds, and a record of the breeding of 

 a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches which 

 had bfen tamed the preceding winter ; evi- 

 dence, therefore, that these individuals 

 passed the greater portion of the year, if not 

 the entire year, at one place ; (4) ' The 

 Return of the Nuthatch,' the apparent re- 

 turn, as a winter resident in Central Park, 

 New York city, of a White-breasted Nut- 

 hatch which had wintered in the same 

 locality two years previously; seeming to 

 show, therefore, that a bird may have a 

 regularly frequented winter as well as sum- 

 mer home; (6) 'The Christmas Bird 

 Census,' returns from over fifty localities of 

 approximately the number of individuals 

 seen under stated conditions. Such records 

 have a general interest and, because of their 

 definiteness, a scientific value. Bird-Lore 

 would always be willing to publish careful, 

 detailed notes of this kind did space per- 

 mit. Subjects seven to eleven all fall under 

 the second of our specified headings ; that 

 is, they are designed to be of practical as- 

 sistance to students or to suggest or discuss 

 methods of study ; (12) 'Attracting Birds ' 

 is both practical and scientific; it contains 

 data on attracting birds as well as definite 

 observations on their habits; (13) 'An 

 Anti -Sparrow Food Shelf,' is of an emi- 

 nently practical nature. The remainder of 



