THE PROGRAM. 



While it is not possible at this time to make perfectly authoritative or "official" 

 statements regarding the plans of The Birds of California Publishing Company, it is 

 safe to announce the following working probabilities: 



The MS. of "The Birds of California," now being revised, and completed on the 

 topical side, will be ready for publication August 1st of this year. 



The author has received private assurances of the means necessary to perfect the 

 work for press and to carry through the final canvass. 



The canvass, therefore, will be launched August 1st, and if successful, as we have 

 every reason to anticipate, we will go to press about December 1st. 



There will be a thorough business reorganization effected prior to August 1st, and 

 help will be secured adequate to the handling of rapidly enlarging affairs. There will 

 be a thorough revision of prices, effective August 1st, and doubtless a substantial 

 advance based on current rates for material and labor. 



The material in hand justifies an estimate of three fat volumes for the less expen- 

 sive editions of "The Birds of California," while it will necessitate a four-volume format 

 in the de luxe editions. 



The work will probably be brought through press volume by volume, with intervals 

 of from four to six or even eight months between them. The first volume should 

 appear, therefore, about June 1st, 1921. Partial and proportional payments will be 

 expected instead of a lump sum, in view of this volume by volume delivery. This 

 arrangement, also, will probably best suit the convenience of the average purchaser. 



The work will not be started in press until the condition of the manuscript and 

 the illustrations, and of the finances, assures the completion of the work in spite of 

 any personal changes or losses which could arise during publication. 



"The Birds of California" will be the most elaborately and beautifully illustrated 

 work upon birds ever produced by any press, in any land, in any age. No pains will 

 be spared to approximate perfection in this regard. 



WE WANT YOUR ORDER FOR THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA 



NOW 



In spite of the tremendous advances in the costs of labor and materials which 

 go into the book making, we have not yet advanced our prices since 1916, and some 

 of them stand just as originally outlined in 1910. It is evident that we must revise 

 them at once, or at least as soon as we can prepare the final estimate. But we have 

 a large number of old order blanks on hand which will be rendered obsolete by 

 this process. And the new friends of the "Journal" and of the "M. C. O." have not 

 had a fair chance at "The Birds of California" at the old prices. 



Here is what we are willing to do, then. If you will use one of these enclosed 

 blanks, and send it back to us with your signature, we will honor it even though 

 the prices quoted on these obsolete forms are less by from twenty to sixty per cent 

 than we must charge on the new schedule, effective August 1st. We guarantee that 

 this will save you money in every instance. The situation in the book trade is such 

 that even those (a very Few) of our subscribers who paid their subscriptions as much 

 as nine years ago, will have made good interest on their investment. You cannot lose 

 now. 



REMEMBER 



That the volumes of "The Birds of California" will not only be as good as 

 promised, but as much better as possible. With the exception of the full Morocco 

 bindings, which we cannot promise and which are definitely withdrawn from sale, 

 and with the further exception of platinotypes. which are "out of sight," we shall be 

 able to indulge every luxury and every refinement of process originally promised, 

 and as much more as the improvements of the past decade have made possible. 



Remember, also, that in the cases of the Booklovers' Edition and the Large 

 Paper Edition de luxe, we shall be giving you four volumes instead of the three 

 originally promised. You will be getting four volumes of equal quality at the old 

 price of three. 



WHY DO WE DO THIS? 



Well, chiefly out of gratitude to the Museum of Comparative Oology. If it 

 hadn't been for its timely aid at a very critical period in our history, we should have 



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