12 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Our Check List 



The first copies of our new Check List of the Birds of Illi- 

 nois came from the bindery the second morning- of the A . O. U. 

 meeting in Chicago, October 25, and the first copies to be 

 distributed went to ornithologists such as Frank Chapman, T. 

 S. Palmer, Lynds Jones, Harry Oberholzer, Arthur A. Allen, 

 and others. Everywhere comment of the most flattering nature 

 occurred. It was admired for its compactness of form, its 

 authoritativeness, its unique contributions to bird study in 

 Illinois and adjoining states, etc. A few days later a friendly 

 reference in the Chicago Tribune by Bob Becker brought in 

 mail orders for the List from every direction. From Mr. T. 

 Gilbert Pearson, President of the National Association of 

 Audubon Societies came a message of approval and congratula- 

 tion. 



The Illinois Audubon Society has reason to be proud of its 

 accomplishment. The Check List is well-printed and attrac- 

 tively bound and its convenient size (4% by 7!/2 inches), its 

 broad margins inviting pencil notes, its symbols of range, nest- 

 ing habits and occurrence, make it an extremely useful hand- 

 book. The zonal map prepared by Mr. Gault and Mr. Ridg- 

 way is a valuable contribution to the geography of the bird 

 fauna of the Mississippi Valley. The long delay in the final 

 issue of the Check List from the press after the first announce- 

 ment of its preparation has been due to the desire to make all 

 of its details as accurate as possible. All of this has involved no 

 little expense and the Society has been obliged to fix the price 

 of the List at fifty cents, post paid. The distribution of the 

 Check List is sure to stimulate the intelligent observation of 

 bird migration and nesting occurrence in Illinois and our mem- 

 bers can perform a most useful service by purchasing a copy 

 and soliciting orders for copies from friends and acquaintances. 



From the Preface to the Check List the following para- 

 graphs are reprinted : 



A tentative "Check List" of Illinois birds appeared in the 

 Spring 1917 Bulletin of the Illinois Audubon Society and again 

 with certain revisions in the succeeding number. The value of 

 efforts of this sort was so evident that it was decided to under- 

 take the preparation of a check list which would recognize as 

 far as possible all authenticated data relating to the occurrence of 

 birds in Illinois, and serve as a standard for the recording of bird 

 notes in every section of the state. The so-called "Comprehen- 

 sive Check List of the Birds of Illinois," which occupies the 

 greater portion of this booklet, is the outcome. It is the work 

 of Benjamin T. Gault, a member of the Board of Directors of 

 the Illinois Audubon Society, and an ornithologist whose peculiar 

 fitness for this task is known to all students of bird migration in 

 the Illinois area. For many years an accurate and discriminat- 

 ing observer, he had accumulated private records which have 



