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THE CONDOR ] 'Vol. II THE CONDOR. Bulletin of the COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB OF CALIFORNIA. Published bi-mcutthly at ?nta Clam, Cal., in the interests and as Official Organ of the Club. CaEST? ?XR?.ow,- - Santa Cl .... Cal., ?Sitor-in -Chief. HENRY R?ED TAYLOR. Alam?a, Cal. HO?'ARD ROBERTSON, , Box ?. Sta. A., I,? Angeles, Ass?iates. I)0NAI,D A. COHEN, Alanle(la. Cal., H. S. SWARTH. 5r2 Coronado St., I,l? Augeles, Business Managers. Snb.?'ripti?, (in advance) One Dollar a Single Copies, - ...... 25 Cents, Six Copies or more ot o,e issue, ?2? Cents Each. Foreign 5uhscriptiom - ..... $L25. Free to Hot}orary Members and to A?ive Members not in arrears for dues. Advertising rates will be sent on application. Advertisements and subscriptions shonld be sent to the Business Managers. Exchanges should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief_ Entered at the Santa Clara Po?t-office a? s?oad class matter. This issue of The Condor was matled Sept, EI)ITORIAI, NOTES. Growth Retrospectkin is the means by of the which we sometimes measure our Cooper progress, aud since the Cooper Orni- Club thelogical Club has grown t,) be one of the leadlug factors iu Californian ornithology and its advancement, it is interestiug to note its growth, which has heen unfailingly steady during the imst few years. The organization of the club dates back to June, [893, when four young ornithologists conceived the idea of forming a Club, which was done and, as with similar small organizations, its life was several times ia the balance, but through the energy ' of its promoters it finally gained a scx-nre bold amt began its growall, which later devel- Hietits have showl? was destiued to result in the collecting into oue associationof ahuost [lte entire ornithological strength of CaliforWa. Its first four years of existence was marked by a wavering ?ro?xrh, according to Ll?e put forth byits niembersto interest othersin the wurk, and January [898 showed a roll enrolhnem of 77 members. The b?ks of the ecretary since that date give forth Llle follow- mg interesting figures: Membership Jannary, i898 ............... 77 New mentbers added ........... 7 Members drol)ped .............. 7 Net ?ain for ?898 .............. o Membership Jannary ?9 .......... ' ...... 77 New members added ........... I8 Members droplx?I .............. Net gain for ?899 .............. 8 Meml)ershi 1) January [9 ? ................ 85 Members added So. I)iv. ........ 8 Members added No. Div. ....... (lain for [?o .................. 22 Total n?emberslHp Sept2 ,9 ? ............ m7 Tile illcrease for x9oo, with tile year but tllree-fourtlls gone, is something more than eo per cent. of the total meulbership. When it is renlenlbered that the ornithologists of California are more or less widely scattered, one nlay appreciate the wide field which is covered by the Cooper Club menlbership. A provisiou of the Club's constitution that a member must be a bona fide resident of the state at the time of election, has brougllt into the Club only those who are actively engaged ill ornithological research. Owing to its late receipt, we are obliged to o?nit an excellent photograph of the liest aud eggs of Clarke's Nutcracker by Mr. W. H. Parker, willell should have illustrated llis paper in tllis issue. This will be published sel)arately ill all early issue of THE CONDOR. It is now reasonably certain that hv the uext session of the California State Legi.?lature the Cooper Ornith(llogieal Club, througb its able nlenlber,-Senator Edw. K. Taylor, of Alameda, will have prepared a sweeping bird protection bill for the consideration of California's law nlakers. Senator Taylor, llimself an able attorney, is in a position to judge of the con- stitutionatity of various protective laws and to model the proposed bill so that it may be with- out flaw wllen it is presented for eonsideratiom The forceful paper presented by Mr. Rey- nol(ls before tlle Soutlleru Division on "Facts, and the Use We Make of Them" will prove a thrust to many workers who have, perhaps, never doubt.?d tile value of the scientific work tlley are pursuiug. There is undoubtedly nlucll field work done each year which is prac- tically valueless, insofar as it affects the sum total of our knowledge; specimens are amassed, with little or no attempt at investigation. Mr. Reynolds points out that in engaging in such work tbe student is not'employing his time to the best advantage, and the ideal line of work suggested by Mr. Reynolds will bear careful reading. Tlle Biological Survey of the Department of Agricnlture has issued Circulars Nos. eS nlltl e9 dealing with the pro?.ect;on and ilnportation of birds as directed ill the Lacey Act which was approved by Congress May 25 last. The terms of this act placed the preservation, dis- tributiou, introduction and res'coration of game and other birds under the Delmrtlne:itof Ag- riculture, and Secretary Wilson bas, in turn. given the matter into tlle charge of the Bio- logical Survey, and correspondence slloutd be addressed to tile Chief of the Survey. Parties coutemplating the interstate stlipnle?nt of wiht birds or others should familiarize themselves Mth the te?t of tllis act, as ill nlauy cases such sllipments, heretofore Unl)rohibited, becolne violations of the law. Circulars aud iuforlna- lion are furnished by the Biological Survey upou applicatiou. H. R. Taylor, associate editor v.f Tllv? CON- DeR, was oue of tile successful contestauts i,1 the recent short-story contest of the [?'lac/: tlt/, ill which a larKe numl/er {ff ulanuscripts were sulnnirted.