94 



THE CONDOR 



Vol. IX 



THE CONDOR 



An Illustrated Magazine 

 of "Western OrnitHology 



Published Bi-Monthly by the Cooper OrniJholoii- 

 cal Club of California^ 



JOSEPH GRINNELL. Editor, - PaLSSSLdeniSL 



H. T. CLIFTON, Business Manager, Box 404, Pasadena 



WILLIAM L. FINLEY 

 JOSEPH MAILLIARD 



} 



AssociaL<e Editors 



Pasadena, California: Published May 15, 1907 



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EDITORIALS 



As we have had to send in cop}' for this issue 

 several days in advance of May i, the date we 

 fixed in our March issue on which to "close 

 the polls" in the vote on certain usages, the 

 final result of the vote will be announced in 

 our Juh' issue. We have received a number of 

 extended arguments, for, as well as against, 

 each of the questions. One of these replies, 

 from Mr. Dawson, is printed in full on another 

 page. We will admit that it presents to us 

 the "capitalization" question in a new light. 

 It pays to "argufy," as long as the contestants 

 are each open to conviction. And \ve con- 

 gratulate ourselves on having put these ques- 

 tions before our readers. We are /earning 

 things. 



Whether to establish certain generic names 

 by the "first species rule" or by "elimination" 

 is latel}' holding the entire attention of several 

 of our experts in nomenclature. Whichever 

 contention wins out, a large number of bird 

 names will have to be changed. For one 

 generic name changed often means many new 

 specific combinations. Mr. Stone and Dr. 

 Allen, both members of the A. O. U. Commit- 

 tee, have come out within a few days of each 

 other with exhaustive reviews of our North 

 American genera of birds treated from the 

 different standpoints. Incidentally a number 

 of old names have been dug out, which the in- 

 vestigators agree will have to replace well- 

 known names if the "law of priority" be 

 strictly enforced. 



All this is disheartening. It somehow 



seems to us that Taverner is right. Most of 

 the rules in the Code are purely arbitrary, such 

 as the taking of Linnaeus at 1758- Why not 

 make one more arbitrary rule, for the sake of 

 uniformity and common sense, and take the 

 A. O. V . 1895 Check-List as establishing the 

 generic names of North American birds for all 

 time? We will just warrant that a three-fourths 

 vote of Fellows and Members of the A. O. U. 

 would authorize such a ruling. And why not? 

 Our system of nomenclature doesn't mean 

 anything in the way of phylogeu}- an3'way. All 

 it can do is to supply names and groupings; 

 and these ought to be serviceable. Nomen- 

 clature is a game that only a dozen, or less, 

 specialists pla}' at; and the game is never 

 ended. Wh}' not settle on a set of names 

 selected, say, on the grounds of most frequent 

 employment in literature for the past twelve 

 }'ears? Wouldn't a shout of rejoicing be raised 

 by the hundreds of people who are studying 

 birds not nomenclature! If this majority 

 would just assert itself, the tnicroscopic minor- 

 ity would find little reason for the continuance 

 of their labors, and their valuable energies 

 would soon be directed into more profitable 

 channels. We mean perfect respect for such 

 men as Allen and Stone who are thoroly con- 

 scientious in carrying out the S3-stem at present 

 in vogue. The work they do involves drud- 

 gery of a most trying sort, unrealized by those 

 who have not attempted similar undertakings. 

 It is the system we deprecate. 



Our fellow Cooper Club member, Mr. H. H. 

 Bailey, of 321 54th Street, Newport News, Vir- 

 ginia, extends to bird men generalh' a cordial 

 invitation to look him up at his home during 

 the present Jamestown Exposition. Mr. 

 Baile}- has arranged his extensive collections 

 so as to be readily accessible for inspection, 

 and these we have reason to know are well 

 worth one's while to examine. 



The Alexander Expedition left Seattle April 

 10, bound for southeastern Alaska in quest of 

 specimens and information in several depart- 

 ments of natural histor3\ The party is pro- 

 vided with every facility for thoro field work, 

 even to a power boat and crew, so that seques- 

 tered islands may be readily visited. INIammals, 

 birds, plants and molluscs will be given most 

 attention. This is the best-equipped expedi- 

 tion which has entered the field on the north- 

 west coast for man}- years, and we are look- 

 ing forward to exceptional results. The party 

 consists of Miss A. M. Alexander, who leads 

 the expedition, Mr. Joseph Dixon, INIr. and Mrs. 

 Frank Stephens, and Mr. Chase Littlejohn. 



We learn from Science of March 15, that 

 "Mr. Frank M. Chapman, curator of ornithol- 

 ogy of the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory, is engaged in making a collection for the 

 museum of southern birds, especially of white 

 herons in various stages of development." 



Arizona is not being neglected this year or- 

 nithologically; for, aside from the two or three 

 resident bird men, Mr. Austin Paul Smith is 

 collecting in the vicinity of Benson, and Mr. 

 H. W. Marsden is working the Tucson region. 



