108 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
EDITORIAL COMMENT 
The committee on life-histories of mammals promises to be one of the most active 
of the standing committees of the American Society of Mammalogists. Presi- 
dent Merriam appointed as the chairman of this committee, Dr. Charles C. Adams, 
director of the Roosevelt Wild Life Forest Experiment Station, New York Col- 
lege of Forestry, Syracuse, New York; and asked the chairman to name the 
other members of his committee. Doctor Adams now announces his selections 
as follows: Dr. Rudolph M. Anderson, zoologist, Biological Division, Geological 
Survey of Canada; Mr. Vernon Bailey, chief field naturalist. Biological Survey 
United States Department of Agriculture; Dr. Harold C. Bryant, Bureau of 
Education, Publicity, and Research, California Board of Fish and Game Com- 
missioners; Dr. Lee R. Dice, curator of mammals, Museum of Zoology, Uni- 
versity of Michigan; Dr. Hartley H. T. Jackson, assistant biologist, Biological 
Survey, United States Department of Agriculture; Dr. T. S. Palmer, assistant 
biologist, Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture; Mr. 
Ernest Thompson Seton, Greenwich, Connecticut; Dr. Walter P. Taylor, 
assistant biologist. Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture;, 
and Mr. Herbert Lang, assistant curator mammalogy, American Museum of 
Natural History. Mr. Lang is chairman of a subcommittee on exotic mammals. 
Good results may be expected from such a committee, and, in any work planned, 
the chairman may confidently look for the hearty cooperation of all the members 
of the Society, 
The second annual meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists will 
be held in New York City, beginning Monday, May 3, 1920. 
Since the first number of the Journal has been issued, many letters regarding, 
it have been received. All speak enthusiastically of the initial number, and, 
as requested by the editor, many make suggestions for future improvement. 
Each criticism or suggestion has been listed and before the close of the year all 
will have the careful consideration of the committee on publications. It has- 
been deemed best to make no conspicuous changes in the make-up, typography, 
or style of the Journal except at the beginning of a new volume, so there will be^ 
plenty of time to weigh carefully all arguments for proposed improvements. 
The most general of all these friendly, helpful criticisms is regarding the lack 
of articles on “life-history.” If this is a serious fault, it is one for which the 
management is in no way to blame; and if we are to have a more nearly balanced 
magazine those members who are particularly interested in the habits of mam- 
mals must furnish the articles and notes for publication. It may be said, hovr- 
ever, that several important contributions of this kind are already promised and 
it is expected that before long the pages of the Journal will contain a fair pro- 
portion of interesting papers on the life-histories of mammals. 
The actual date of publication of the first number of the Journal of Mammalogy 
was November 28, 1919. 
Mr. Seton’ s letter on the English names of mammals in this number of the- 
Journal brings this troublesome question up for discussion. It is a matter that 
will bother the editors of the Journal for all time, for, unlike the case with birds,. 
