Mar., 1913 
EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 
95 
THE CONDOR 
A Magazine of 
Western OrnitKology 
Publjshed hy th© 
Cooper Orniiholo^icaj Club 
J. GRINNELL, Editor. Berkeley. C®.liforasa 
HARRY S. SWARTH, Associa.le Editor 
J. EVGENE LAW 
W. LEE CHAMBERS 
Business Ma.nagersl 
Hillywood, Califirnii: PuMisfied lircli 25, 1913 
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EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 
The Business Manager’s report of the 
Cooper Club’s financial standing at the close 
of the year 1912 is a model commercial docu- 
ment. The itemized statements of receipts 
and expenditures are accompanied by a full 
inventory of Club property. While lack of 
space prevents giving the 7-page report in 
full, the following summary shows the main 
points as regards money transactions ; 
Balance in bank, January 2, 1912....$ 333.35 
Dues received during 1912 691.22 
Subscriptions during 1912 167.20 
Sale of Avifaunas 24.50 
Sale of back numbers of Condor 121.60 
Donations, etc 3.00 
Advertising 43.45 
T otal Receipts $1384 . 32 
Cost of printing Condor 760.98 
Cost of illustrations 167.50 
Club expenses 43.96 
Miscellaneous expenditures, chiefly 
connected with Condor 168.49 
Cost of store-room 61.85 
Total Expenses $1202.78 
Balance in bank January2, 1913 $ 181.54 
Cash on hand, not deposited 31.59 
Total available cash 213.13 
Outstanding 1912 bills payable 191.. 35 
Net Balance $ 21.78 
The financing of Avifaunas 7 and 8 is ac- 
counted for separately. Their cost ($500.00) 
v.'as raised by donation. 
Mr. Harry S. Swarth, for nearly live years 
Curator of Birds in the California Museum 
of Vertebrate Zoology, transferred his affilia- 
tion on February first to the new Museum of 
History, Science and Art, in Los Angeles. 
The change is accompanied by considerable 
increase in responsibility as well as in remu- 
neration. While we see in this advancement 
a well deserved recognition of Mr. Swarth’s 
efficiency there is one element that seems to 
us regrettable, namely, that the prospects point 
towards his time being henceforth so fully 
occupied with executive routine that ornith- 
ology will receive correspondingly less atten- 
tion from his judicious and accurate pen. 
In the great majority of cases nowadays, 
when a young man reaches an advanced de- 
gree of proficiency in bird-study, the_ ability 
thus developed makes him desirable in some 
executive berth, and the matter of salary con- 
cludes the argument. At present, there ap- 
pear to be practically no purely research posi- 
tions in ornithology, offering anywhere near 
an adequate livelihood, availalile to the talented 
and ambitious young student anywhere in 
America. Very nearly all the published orni- 
thology turned out is a bi-product of busy 
men's activities, which are by necessity cen- 
tered elsewhere. 
The following excerpts from a recent circu- 
lar letter sent out from the Smithsonian In- 
stitution show progress in Mr. A. C. Bent’s 
undertaking to carry on the life history pro- 
ject so ably begun by Bendire. 
In 1910 arrangements were made with the 
Smithsonian Institution for the completion of 
the work on the life histories of North Ameri- 
can birds, which v/as originally projected by 
Major Charles E. Bendire, and of vHiich the 
Institution published two volumes. For over 
twenty years Mr. Bent has devoted his spare 
time to visiting various points of ornithologi- 
cal interest in North America for the pin pose 
of collecting the information, -photographs and 
specimens necessary for an extensive work 
on the breeding habits of North American 
Major Bendire’s first volume began with 
the Gallinae, A. O. U. number 289, and his 
second volume ended with the Ictcridae, A. 
O. U. number 513, including 223 species in 
the two volumes. Considering the fact that 
comparatively little is known about many o 
the water-birds and that many of the ocean 
wanderers and stragglers need little more than 
passing mention as American birds, it seems 
safe to count on covering all of the first part 
of the A. O. U. check-list, np to the point 
at which he began, in two volumes. ^ The 
present plan, which is subject to revision, 
is to have the first of the new volumes in- 
clude the Anatidae at least as far as the 
geese ; but as the life histories of many ot 
the Tiibinares will be decidedly brief, it may 
be well to include all of the Anatidae in this 
first volume. . , 
The work of gathering information, niaterial 
and contributions for the life histories has 
lieen partially organized on a very satisfactory 
