24 
THE CONDOR 
THE CONDOR. 
Bulletin of the 
Cooper Ornitiiologicwe Ci.ub 
OF CAI,IFORNIA. 
Published bi-iuonthly at Santa Clara, Cal., in the interests 
and as Official Organ of the Club. 
CHESTEIR BARROW, - - Santa Clara, Cal., 
Plditor-in-Chief. 
WALTER K. FISHER, Stanford University Cal. 
HOWARD ROBERTSON, Box 55, Sta. A., Los .\ngeles, 
-Associates. 
DON.ALD .A. COHEN, - - - .Alameda, Cal., 
H. S. SWARTH, 512 Coronado St., - Los Angeles. 
Business Managers. 
Sub.scription, (in advance) - - One Dollar a Year. 
Single Copies, 25 Cents. 
Six Copies or more of one issue^ - 12 % Cents Each. 
F'oreign Sub.scription, 
Free to Honorary Members and to .Active Members not 
in arrears for dues. 
Advertising rates will be sent on application. 
-Advertisements and .subscriptions should be sent to the 
Bn.siness Managers. 
Exchanges should be sent to the Kditor-in-Chief. 
Entered at the Santa Clara Post-office as second class 
matter. 
This issue of The Condor was mailed Jan. 15. 
EDITORIAL NOTES. 
A The Eighteenth Congress of tlie 
Greater American Ornithologists’ Union 
A. O. U. proved unusvtally interesting in re- 
sults, inasmuch as the proposed changes regu- 
lating its membership constitute one of the 
broadest and most radical moves ever consider- 
ed by the Union at a single meeting. Previous 
to this session there seemed nothing to indicate 
that a general revision of the membership was 
to follow, but it is apparent from the response 
according the movement that those closest to 
the Union had become awakened to the advis- 
ability, if not the necessity, of providing in 
some way for the exjiansion which has steadily 
been going on in ornithological ranks during 
the past decade. 
The proposed changes in the by-laws of the 
Union jirovide for increadng the number of 
Active members from 50 to 75 (provided that 
not more than five members of this class be 
elected in any one year), these members to be 
designated as b'ellows. An intermediate class, 
also limited to 75, will be created, to be known 
as Members, and will include the more ad- 
vanced workers of the present associate mem- 
bership. A thir.l class will be known as As- 
sociates and will embrace all those members of 
the Union not included in the iivvo previous 
classes. Thus an encouraging system, of pro- 
gression is provided, and any ambitious and 
comjietent member in the .Associate list, ma\-, 
in proper time and by election, advance to the 
jmsitiou of Member, whence, according to 
1 Vol. Ill 
ability and existing vacancies, he may in time 
become a P'ellow. 
It is understood that these proposed changes 
in the By-Laws will he adopted at the 1901 
Congress and become operative. We learn that 
probably 50 Mendiers wall be elected from the 
as.sociate list at that time and that the dues of 
Members will be fixed at ^^4. 
This expansion of the Union’s membership 
has produced an indisputable feeling of satis- 
faction on the Coast, and ornithologists gener- 
ally must feel that this marks the beginning of 
an era of increased prosjierity for the A. O. U. 
When those governing the Union have so 
generously met the demand which an increased 
interest in the science has created, it becomes 
the part of those constituting the membership 
to voice their appreciation of the movement by 
concerted action in adding new members and 
by strengthening the fraternal ties which bind 
together those allied with the Union. 
The seniinient of Californians seems aptly 
ex])ressed in a personal letter to the editor f rom 
Mr. F. S. Daggett of I’asadena, Cal., whose 
loyalty to ornithological work in the state is 
well known. Mr. Daggett comments as fol- 
lows: “The action of the A. O. U. in recom- 
mending an increase of its ‘active’ list is a 
source of much gratification, inasmuch as it 
shows that the Union is under the control of 
liberal, broad-minded men who are anxious 
and willing that the Union shall broaden to 
meet all legitimate re(]uirements. The or- 
thologists of the country may rely with perfect 
confiflence upon such a governing body, who, 
by this act, have done so much to cement all 
interests in the Union. 
“When the new members are chosen, if the 
Pacific Coast is fortunate enough to receive 
recognition, I trust the selection will be made 
only after careful and long deliberation and 
with the co-operation of our Club. Most of us 
have no Aspirations that way, but we are deep- 
ly interested in seeing that the right man is 
selected, if we are .so fortunate as to draw a 
prize. It is unfortunate that all of the present 
Active members resident on the Pacific Coast, 
do not fraternize with the element which has 
done so much to foster ornithology and bird 
protection in California during the past few 
years; else I would suggest that a .‘^election be 
made upon their recommendation. As it i s, I 
believe that the best results would be obtained 
by presenting a candidate selecte.l by a full 
vote of the Club, which includes all the Cali- 
fornia -A. O. U. active members, who are still 
active in the true sense. 
“Of course all this is premature and only- 
based upon the presumption that the .A. O. U., 
in its expansive mood, may confer an honor 
ujion some of our Pacific Coast workers. 
Whether we receive recognition or not, we cer- 
tainly can feel that the -A. O. U. is a strong, 
broad bo Iv worthv of the hearty suiiiior'. of 
