Jan., 1910 
EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 
47 
THE CONDOR 
An Illustrated Magazine 
of Western OrnitKolog'y 
Publish* Bi-Monthly by the Cooper Ornithoiofi 
cal Club of California. 
JOSEPH GR1NNELL, Editor. Berkeley. Cal. 
J. EUGENE LAW. Business Manager, Hollywood. Cal. 
W. LEE CHAMBERS, Business Manager. Santa 
Monica, Cal. 
HARRY S. SWARTH 
ROBERT B. ROCKWELL 
Associate Editors 
Hollywood, California: Publisht Jan. 20, 1910 
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EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 
The task of the reviewer is not one that 
attracts the average ornithologist. We have 
askt a number of well-qualified persons to write 
reviews of current books and articles for this 
magazine, but we are invariably met with 
either outright refusal on one ground or an- 
other, or subsequent evasion. The review of 
all current ornithological literature, especially 
that pertaining to Western North America, 
would be a valuable feature of The Condor. 
It would furnish to our readers an index of 
whatever else is being done in our field, and it 
would give them an estimate (at least from the 
standpoint of the reviewer) of the current 
articles outside of our own magazine. Further- 
more, such recognition of their work is due all 
authors. 
The present editors of The Condor have at 
times in the past endeavored to present notices 
of all relevant publications. But we are now 
becoming convinced that it is impossible for 
us alone to adequately handle this phase of the 
work. Moreover, it is not to be expected that 
a single individual have the time or appropri- 
ate knowledge to enable him to digest and 
summarize (let alone critically analyze) bro- 
chures pertaining to all phases of the subject. 
The ideal would be for one person, who is him- 
self working in that field, to handle the litera- 
ture on life histories, another to handle syste- 
matic papers, another, paleontological, and so 
on. Wanted: Reviewers. 
In connection with the foregoing we take this 
opportunity of calling attention to the very 
great value to American ornithology of the 
review department in The Auk. We who have 
constant need for securing information as to 
the gist and appraisement of articles not imme- 
diately at hand, have only to refer to our files 
of The Auk. We have come to feel assured 
that practically nothing has escaped notice in 
its review colums; and if the review notice that 
we are after and do find, is critical and above 
the initials, “J. A. A.”, with what close atten- 
tion is it read. 
We owe the prof oundest gratitude to Dr. J. A. 
Allen for his thirty years and more of tireless, 
consistent reviewing, not merely from the bib- 
liographical standpoint, but because of the wide- 
reaching influence he has exerted in maintain- 
ing a balanced advance in American ornitholo- 
gy. How fortunate that such a facile pen, and 
the opportunity for reviewing, should have been 
backt up by the philosophical mind and the wide 
general knowledge. We believe we make no 
mistake m referring to Doctor Allen as the 
most powerful exponent of ornithology among 
Americans during the past twenty-five years. 
And it has been in very large measure thru his 
reviews that current opinion has been tem- 
pered, perhaps directed in some cases. Certain 
publisht works have appeared which were dis- 
tinctly on the wrong track in their conclusions, 
and it devolved upon The . Ink reviewer to 
give the mass of more or less amateur ornithol- 
ogists the cue. Only one abreast of and ahead of, 
the times, could serve in such a capacity, with- 
out proving a hindrance rather than an incent- 
ive to progress. To Dr. J. A. Allen we owe a 
very great deal. No small proportion of his 
serv ice lies in those thirty years of reviews. 
We confess that we may he rightly accused 
of editorial inconsistency in this issue. But 
we beg to offer the excuse that said inconsist- 
ency is the result of the granting of the special 
request, by the author of the article in question, 
that old-fashioned usage in the matter of pos- 
sessives and spelling he retained From the 
editorial standpoint it is, of course, desirable 
that .authors conform to our custom in all 
regards. The general appearance of our maga- 
zine demands this, too. 
The Southern Division of the Cooper Club 
lias decided that hereafter their monthly meet- 
ings be hekl regularly (excepting during June, 
July and August) on the last Thursday evening 
of each month, in room 1 of the City Flail, Los 
Angeles. This will make it possible for distant 
members who might find it con venient to attend, 
to know far in advance when and where to 
expect to find the club in session. 
Mr. John Rowley has recently been appoint- 
ed Curator of Mammals in the California Aca- 
demy of Sciences. 1 1 is work will lie chiefly in 
the preparation of habitat groups of large mam- 
mals, this to be the main feature of the exhibit 
to be installed in the new building for which 
plans are drawn up. Mr. Rowley will also be- 
gin the accumulation of material towards the 
formation of a research collection of mammals. 
