Birds & Nature Magazine 



The Editor's Latch String 



An Invitation 



\\7 E have hung out our ' latch string'' 

 because we want you to pull it. If 

 you live so far from Chicago that you cannot 

 accept our invitation literally, we should be 

 delighted to have you '''drop in' with our 

 morning'' s mail. What you have to say 

 would be just as keenly appreciated in a letter 

 as if you brought the message in person. In 

 any case don' t forget the invitation. IV e 

 want your advice, your suggestions , your criti - 

 cisms, and your appreciation — // we are 

 fortunate enough to deserve it. If we can 

 spare the space we are going to let this invi- 

 tation hang directly under our ' 'latch string' ' 

 each month — so you wont forget / 



An Explanation 



TN making plans for the new "Birds & 

 Nature Magazine" we needed time to 

 "turn 'round." The March number 

 was omitted altogether. The April num- 

 ber was very late and was the last to be 

 issued over the old name. This May 

 number indicates a starting point from 

 which we hope to journey in the direction 

 of the "City of Our Ideals." We long ago 

 gave up hope of ever reaching it, but they 

 tell us that the suburbs are very pleasant. 

 In any case we shall keep on journey- 

 ing — and with your consent we'll travel 

 together. All subscriptions to "Birds & 

 Nature" will be moved along one month so 

 subscribers will get ten separate issues for 

 which they subscribed. 



An Expectation 



A^/ITHOUT promising or prophecy- 

 ing we would like to make a few re- 

 marks as to what you may expect of us 

 during the comingyear. " Birds & Nature " 

 has always had a loyal band of followers 

 who have been subscribers from Volume 

 One, Number One. Probably no other 

 magazine of equal circulation has sold so 

 many complete sets of the bound volumes. 

 This indicates that it is of permanent value. 

 Nowadays, people do not bind their maga- 

 zines unless they are worthy of a lasting 

 place in their library. 



We believe we see in the magazine field 

 an unoccupied niche of large proportions 



which we shall endeavor to make "Birds 

 & Nature Magazine" fill. There are 

 many and beautiful magazines devoted to 

 "country life" and "suburban life," to 

 "gardening" and "shooting" and the other 

 sports. "Birds & Nature" will be primarily 

 a Nature magazine. Everything beautiful 

 or wonderful or interesting in the world of 

 Nature is within its field. While all its 

 articles will be entertaining, they will also 

 be instructive. They will interpret Nature 

 for the Nature lover, the casual reader, the 

 school teacher, and for boys and girls who 

 look upon "God's Out-of-Doors" with 

 such keen and wondering eyes. 



Each issue of "Birds & Nature Maga- 

 zine" will be illustrated with beautiful 

 halftones as well as with eight of the 

 Nature plates in natural colors, which have 

 made the magazine famous. 



A Trial Subscription Free! 



TF you would like a "trial subscription'* 

 to "Birds & Nature Magazine" for the 

 trouble of writing one letter to us, and the 

 cost of a two cent stamp, then you would 

 better turn to page 7 of this issue for full 

 particulars. 



Our Colored Pictures 



A^/'E furnish the colored pictures in this 

 issue, printed singly on 7x9-inch stock. 

 We have the largest collection of these plates 

 (648 subjects) in the world, and can supply 

 prints from them to individuals, publishers 

 or schools, for any purpose whatsoever. 

 The prices are as follows: 2 cents each, 

 $1.80 a hundred, $15.00 a thousand. We 

 will forward a complete set of these 648 

 pictures for only $8.10. 



Nature Photographs Wanted 



TF we are able to make this the most 

 beautiful Nature magazine pubhshed, we 

 m.ust have your co-operation in the way of 

 Nature photographs, and short sketches, 

 and articles full of incident and action. Tell 

 us what you have seen with your own eyes. 

 We shall be glad to pay for both photo- 

 graphs and manuscripts which prove avail- 

 able. 



