Mar., 1911
EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS
77 THE CONDOR, An Illustrated Magazine of Western Ornithology Pubfished Bi-Monthly by tbe Coopor Omitholodlcal Club JOS?-PH GRINN?-LL, ?-ditor, Borkeloy, Calif. J. r-VGr-Nr- LAW ? Business Manaffere W. L r-r- CHAMBr-lt.S HARKY S. SWAKTH ? ROBr-RT B. ROCKWr-LL ? Assoaiate Editors G. WILL?-TT ) Hollywood, California: Publlshod Mar. 28, 1911 Copyright, 1911, by J. Grinnell $UBSCIklFTION RATE5 One Dollar and Fifty Cents per Year in the United States, Canada, Mexico and U.S. Colonies, payable in advan .ce Thirty Conis the single copy. One Dollar and Sevonty-five Cents per Year in all other countries in the International Postal Union. ClMme for missihg or imperfect numbers should be made within thirty days of date of issue. Subecriptions and I?xshandes should be sent to the Business Manager. Manuscripts for publication. and Books and Papere for review, should be sent to the Editor. Advertisinff Rites on application. EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS A new feature on the agricultural demon- strution train conducted by the University of California during the winter months and run over Southern Pacific lines within this state, is a half car devoted to birds and mammals in their economic relations. A series of specimens of the better known species of the state are displayed, together with appro- priate captions, charts, etc., intended to give the desired information. Incidentally many things of value are learned from the visitors, record of which is one of the duties of the at- tendant. This exhibit is in charge of Mr. Harold C. Bryant who has recently been ap- pointed assistant to the State Fish and Game Com- mission. In the latter service Mr. Bryant is working along economic lines, especially to- wards securing more satisfactory data in regard to the status of the much discussed meadow- lark. We are gratified to learn that the preliminary canvass on behalf of the proposed Birds of California has been very encouraging, and that the success of the enterprise is now practically assured. The organization of "The Birds of California Publishing Company!' is now being perfected in San Francisco, and more than a score of members of the Cooper Ornithological Club are already enrolled among its stockhold- ers. The artist, Mr. Allan Brooks of British Columbia, has joined Mr. Dawson at Santa Barbara, and is now engaged in the preparation of the colored plates under the author's direction. Miss Annie M. Alexander aud Miss Louise Kellogg spent the latter half of February and early March in field work in the Trinity moun- tain region of northwestern California. Their efforts have resulted in the acquisition of im- portant information in regard to the winter bird life of the region. These facts will be placed on record in due course of time. Aside from Price's published observations from the high central Sierras, we have practically no knowledge of what birds occur anywhere above the lower edge of heavy snow. Persistent winter observation in the snow-covered north- em and more elevated parts of the state will doubtless disclose the presence of a number of visitants from the far north not now suspected. The February number of Bird-Lore is of un- usual interest all the way through. Of par- ticular mention is the series of Christmas bird censuses, over two hundred in number. This feature has proven increasingly attractive as more and wider-separated localities have been represented. The idea of simultaneous obser- vation by amateur bird students everywhere, and the preseutation of the reports of these in one place where comparison may be made, was a happy innovation in journalistic ornithology; indeed, it has been so successful that we have more than once serious13? considered adopting it in THE CONDOR, in a modified form. For va- rious reasons, however, the thought has been abandoned. The American Museum of Natural History has sent a collecting party to Lower California. The reported object of this expedition is to in- vestigate the fauna of certain heretofore neglect- ed islands in the Gulf of California. An expedition to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, 4s being organized by Messrs. A. C. Bent and L. C. Sanford, also for the purpose of faunistic exploration. The party is to leave in April, and about four months will be devoted to the trip. Probably no movement of late years has prom- ised so much in the way of stimulation of the growth of the Cooper Club and general interest in ornithology, as the proposed Joint Meeting to be held soon in San Francisco and Berkeley. A dinner ($1.50 per plate) and business meet- ing wilt t?ke place at the Mint Restaurant, 615 Commercial Street, San Francisco, at 7 p.m., March 31. A scientific program, rich in ornith- ological delicacies, will be given at South Itall, University of California, Berkeley, Saturday afternoon, April 1, at 3:30. If you will be present at the dinner notify Joseph Mailliard, 1815 Vallejo Street, San Francisco. It is especially hoped that members living at some distance will attend. The railroads have agreed to extend one and one-third rates to the Pacific Association of Scientific Societies (of which the Cooper Club is a member) pro- vided fifty or more tickets to Berkeley are sold from outside points.
