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Nov., 1910 EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 205 THE CONDOll, An Illu.trated Mal/?azine of We.tern Ornithology, Publlskt Bi-Monthly by the Cooper Ornithol?ffi- cal Club of Csllfornia- JOSEPH GRINNELL. Editor, Berkeley, Ca-I. J. EVGEN. E LAW, Business Ma`nsger, Hollywood, Csl. W. LEE CHAMBE&S, Business Msnsger, Santa. Monica,, H&R&Y S. SW&&TH ROBERT B. ROCKWELL Associu, te Editors Hollywood, California: Publisht Nov. 29, 1910 SUBSCl%IPTION RATES One Dollsr end Fifty Cents per Yesr in the United States, Mexico, and U.S. ColoniEs. payable in advance. Thirty Cents the single copy. One Dollsr end Seventy-five Cents per Year in all other countries in the International Postal Union. Clsims for missim? or imperfect numbers should be , made within thirty days of date of issue. Subscriptions end Exchsnfes should be sent to the Business Manager. Mu, nuscripts for publicstlon, end Books end Pa-pers for review should be sent to the Editor Advsrtlzin81 Rates on application. EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS Don't neglect to vote on that simplified spel- ling proposition (see THE CONDOR, September, 1910, page 176.) The returns to date show very close results, so that a few more votes one way or the other will decide the matter. If you don't want to see simplified spelling in our magazine, say so. While the Editor himself, favors the use of it, he will not bear a personal grudge against anyone for differing from him. Ite fears that some are withholding an expres- sion of opinion in the belief that the Editor will actively resent an adverse decision. He/?opes that he deserves a higher rating than this. Re- member that the vote must be concluded De- cember 10; forthe January issue has to be made up immediately following that date. We urge the attention of CONDOR readers to the Business Manager's announcement on the inside back cover of this issue. Nothing is more certain than the absolute dependence of a successful enterprize like THE CONDOR upon the concentrated efforts of a very few persons in addition to the moral aml practical support of a large number of others. Both are essential to the maintenance of our magazine on a high level of usefulness. Chambers and Law are men of affairs, with multitudinous private busi- ness interests; yet they are giving freely of the time necessary to secure the financial support of THE CONDOR. Let us all help them. Keep in mind the purposes of the Cooper Club: For the observation and co-operative study of Birds, because of the resulting plesure; For the spred of interest in Bird Study, so that this plesure may be shared by others; For the publication of Ornithological Knowledge, as being a contribution to Science. William Leon Dawson, author of The ?'irds of Ohio and (with Mr. Bowles) The ]?irds of 1t/ashington, and secretary of our sister organ- ization, the Caurinus Club, is now in San Fran- cisco. Mr. Dawson is planning to spend the next few weeks in this vicinity where he -will be at home to all Cooper Club members at the Exeter Hotel, 154 Ellis Street. He will spend the holidays at Santa Barbara with his former associate, Mr. J. H. Bowles, and the remainder of the winter will be past in the neighborhood of Los Angeles. Mr. W. W. Grant of New York City has de- vized a very convenientloose-leaf note-book for the use of beginning bird students. It is of pocket size and the leaves are of two sorts, ruled and headed with various captions. An outline drawing of a bird is shown, and a list of colors, numbered, is given, the intention being that the student can record in a few minutes the coloration of a bird by putting the color numbers on the drawing of the bird on his note page. Space is also indicated for various other features' of the specimen observed, together with the conditions of observation. The records obtained by this system require the least possible length of time in securing them, and at the same time secure the accuracy accompanying immediate inscription. Mr. Grant has arranged that the National Associa- tion of Audubon Societies will sell this book at cost, so that it will become available to amateur observers of birds everywhere. The idea is clearly of value and should result in much ben- efit to the cause. Messrs. Witherby & Co., of London, an- nounce an important work on Australian Birds which they are about to issue. A very large sum of money is being expended upon the prepara- tion of this work, and every care is being exer- cized to produce results as perfect as possible in every direction and thoroly up to date. PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRA?PlON OF NORTH AMERICAN SHOREBIRDS, by WELLS W. COOKE (=U.S. Dept. Agriculture, Biological Survey, Bulletin No. 35, pp. 1 to 100, 4 pls.; issued October 6, 1910). Professor Cooke anti his co-workers of the Biological Survey have here brought together practically all the main facts known in regard to the subject exprest in the title. The eco- nomic importance of a compendimn of this kind becomes apparent when one takes into account that increasingly large numbers of these valuable game birds are being killed an- nually, that unless mesures are taken to pro- tect them, most of the larger species are likely to become extinct, and further that a knowl- edge of the summer and winter abodes of the several species and of the routes they take in migration is essential to effective legislation in their behalf.