32 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. VII 
THE CONDOR 
An Illustrated Magazine of Western 
Ornithology 
Published Bi-monthly by the Cooper Ornithologi- 
cal Club of California 
WALTER. K. FISHER, Editor, Palo Alto 
JOSEPH OR INN ELL, Business Manager and 
Associate Editor, Pasadena 
R. E. SNODGRASS, Associate Editor 
Palo Alto, California: Published Jan. 17, 1905 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES 
Price in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and U. S. 
Colonies one dollar a year; single copies twentv-five cents. 
Price in all countries in the International Postal Union 
one dollar and a quarter a year. 
Subscriptions should be sent to the Business Manager; 
manuscripts and exchanges to the Editor. 
EDITORIAL NOTES 
(' Continued ) 
have no connection whatever with museums or 
institutions of any sort. Examine the list of 
field ornithologists who contributed to Bendire’s 
“Life Histories.” Few are of the class Mr. 
Seton would endow with special privileges. 
Scan the last volume of The Auk. What pro- 
portion of articles are contributed by men con- 
nected with museums as compared with those 
who are not! Practically all the ornithologists 
west of the Mississippi would go out of commis- 
sion if this sentiment prevailed. With legiti- 
mate bird protection we have perfect and un- 
qualified sympathy, but we have little patience 
with the wild flights of ultra-enthusiasts. 
As we hinted above this idea is not new by any 
means. It has come from high places and is 
having a little effect on the younger generation. 
If the discouragement of the gun leads to a 
closer study of the life histories, well and good, 
but practical experience teaches that the gun 
should not be abandoned, as is so often advo- 
cated. The substitution of “total abstinence” 
for the old time method is likely to have one 
serious result, which is already being slightly 
felt. It favors a growth of the rankest sort of 
dilletantism; and if the “new and proper” ten- 
denency is to prevail will we not in time have the 
serious ornithologist giving way to what Dr. 
Coues might have termed a “superficial ornitho- 
phile”? Of course we do not favor that every 
Thomas, Richard, and Henry shall be allowed 
unlimited freedom with firearms but we do 
think the unconsidered condemnation of the 
gun about a century premature. 
Owing to demands on available space it has 
been necessary to omit several pages of reviews 
which were intended for this number, as well 
as the usual “From Field and Study,” and the 
directory of club members. The last two, at 
any rate, will appear in March. We regret 
having been obliged to publish Mr. Keyes’s ar- 
ticle in two portions, but the concluding instal- 
ment will be in the next issue. The same is 
true for Mr. Swarth’s paper. Indeed we have 
been so crowded this month that the title page 
for volume VII must be deferred till November. 
Last year we printed it as a part of the first is- 
sue. Prof. Cooke’s article was read at the 
twenty-second Congress of the A. O. U., Novem- 
ber 29th. 
It is not a pleasant task to be continually 
harping on the money question but the printer, 
unfortunately, has to pay his help. Consider- 
ing the excellent work that he is now turning 
out, club members should make it a matter of 
pride to be prompt with dues. The same re- 
mark applies to subscribers, who are receiving 
The Condor at bare cost price. We would 
have no occasion for these observations had not 
the business manager sent us recently a pitiful 
wail concerning editorial extravagance, ending 
with the assertion that he could not collect 
funds as fast as we are determined to spend 
them. He further assures us that money is 
coming in slowly. If the members and sub- 
scribers wish us to maintain the present stand- 
ard they will have to do their part. Besides, 
pity the business manager; his is a hard lot, 
managing an extravagant editor. 
There is no reason why we should not have 
400 members as well as 225, our present num- 
ber. If every member would send us one name 
the trick could be done in a jiffy. The growth 
of the club is due to the alertness of about 15 
people. That all the bird people in the west 
are not enrolled in very evident. Will not every 
member ivho reads this make a resolution to 
send us one new name before the March meet- 
ing? It is very easily done, and will mean a 
better magazine and a larger one. 
Friends of the California Academy of Sciences 
will be glad to know that the amendment to 
the Constitution of California exempting the 
institution from taxation received about 11,000 
majority of favorable notes. The exact figures 
are; for the amendment, 73,207; against, 62,275. 
The annual dinner, announced in the last is- 
sue, was held at Jules's Restaurant, 315 Pine St., 
San Francisco, January 14, at 7 P. M. An ac- 
count of the meeting will appear in the next 
issue. 
Messrs. Joseph Mailliard and Joseph Grinnell 
spent a portion of the Christmas holidays or- 
nithologizing near Victorville, California. 
Mr. William L. Finley gave two lectures il- 
lustrated with lantern slides at the meeting of 
the A. O. U. in Cambridge. Mr. Finley is now 
at Santa Monica. 
Members who notice errors in their address 
will do well to send a card of correction before 
the publication of the directory in the next 
number. 
A remarkable series of flamingo photographs 
and a very interesting article are contributed to 
the December Century by Mr. Frank M. Chap- 
man, a member of the Cooper Club and Editor 
of Bird- Lore. 
