Jan. 1903 I 
THE CONDOR 
25 
isfaction of all concerned. I could argue it, and ask which does the most harm, a spyglass ornith- 
ologist with a ready imagination, who describes things we never heard of before (and which 
never really happened), or a sane student of birds who is obliged to use a gun, and whose writ- 
ings may be depended upon for information and not for imagination? I might do this, but I 
prefer not to walk in where angels fear to tread. 
There are several things well said, and sentiments given noble expressions in your communi- 
cation, and with these I have no quarrel; but it is the evil men do that lives after them. It is the 
evil of the writer who talks of “dead and stuffed bird skins,’’ who strains a point to serve his argu- 
ment, even though the ill-judged reflection be at good men and better ornithologists than he- 
Here is where the damage of careless spilling of ink on these questions comes in. 
You are not fortunate in paraphrasing what you say is a “very bad popular saying,’’ concern- 
ing Indians, as, that collectors seem to believe “the only good bird is a dead bird.’’ It ma}^ be 
to your mind a very bad saying that “A good Indian is a dead Indian,’’ but very often it has 
been true. The late Major Bendire hunted Indians and birds in the same countr}' and killed both 
with equal lack of compunction, when the blood of murdered settlers cried aloud for vengeance, 
or the authorities at the National Museum wanted positive identification. A dead Indian was a 
very good Indian to Major Bendire, and a dead bird in the hand looked better to him where the 
identity of a rare set of eggs was in question than a squint at a bird through a glass. He used 
the spyglass on the Indians. 
You refer to an “interesting and excellently written article’’ in the September-October Con- 
dor on the rufous-crowned sparrow, “the description of a social colony on a little hillside oppo- 
site a schoolhouse,’’ and add “where the birds obtained a part of their living no doubt from the 
scraps remaining of the children’s lunches.’’ Then you go on to speak of these “feathered friends’’ 
which the teacher, “if she was up-to-date,’’ you think, taught the children to love and protect. 
You don’t know anything about it, but to add a nice little pathetic touch you “think” all 
this! Then you go on to score the ornithologist who “collected” the parent after finding the 
nest, as you say, “merely for dissection to show that her nest of eggs was complete.” This 
statement is not merely absurd, for it is at variance with the facts; it does injury. 
The schoolhouse referred to (and I know the country) is proper!}' speaking, in the moun- 
tains, and if the nice little school boys spoken of w'ere able to get anywhere near these wary 
sparrows they probably used a slingshot on them. Without the bird for positive identification 
the valuable and interesting article, which the southern critic praises so highly, would never have 
been possible. The bird was shot and properly shot, for identification, as the set of eggs W'as ex- 
tremely rare, and was not sacrificed merely to satisfy a puerile curiosity as to a full nest comple- 
ment, as the well-meaning critic asserts. Without positive identity w'hat could have been written as 
to the singular differences in color of eggs of this same species? As to the number of skins secured 
from this favored patch of hillside, the species is rare, and doubtless they are needed in collec- 
tions. Certainly they will not be missed up there in the hills where we may infer the “Dago” 
school boy, if he takes notice at all, shies stones at them on his happy schoolward way. There 
will be rufous-crowned sparrows on many a hillside when you and I are where the daisies grow! 
H. R. Tayi.or. 
Alameda, Cal. 
GENEIRAL NEWS NOTES 
The American Ornithologists’ Union held its twentieth Annual Congress at Washington, U. 
C., November 17-20, 1902. All the officers for 1902 were re-elepted. Harry C. Oberholser was 
chosen Fellow and the following Members were added: Andrew Allison, Paul Bartsch, A. C. 
Bent, W. C. Braislin, Hubert L. Clark, A. H. Howell, E. A. Goldman, F. H. Knowlton, A. H. 
Norton, T. G. Pearson, S. F. Rathbun, P. M. Silloway, and C. O. Whitman. The program was 
one of unusual interest and the attendance exceeded that of any previous meeting. The Union 
will meet in Philadelphia, November 16, 1903. (See Editorial column). 
During the Christmas vacation W. W. Price, as has been his wont in past years, took a party 
of young men on a hunting and collecting expedition. Last year they descended the Colorado 
from The Needles in boats, and the two seasons previous were spent on the Colorado south of 
Yuma, and about the head of the gulf. This year the party penetrated the mountains of north- 
ern Sonora in quest of big game. Mr. Price is well known as a prince of good fellows in camp, 
and it is probable the party had a thorougly enjoyable time, besides acquiring valuable material. 
Later we hope to publish an account of the trip. 
