This page needs to be proofread.

Jan., THE CONDOR 25 every ornithologist in the country, and I am sure that the Cooper Ornithological Club, with its constantly growing influence, will, as here- tofore, be its most loyal subject." The editors take this occasion to extend thanks to Mr. Richard C. McGregor for com- piling the index for Vol. II of THE CONDOR, which is sent out with this issue. The index will be found most complete, bird species being indexed by both the common and the scientific nantes, while each author is credited with all his titles for the year. With this issue of THE CONDOR, Mr. Walter K. Fisher becomes Associate Editor from the Northern Division, vice Henry Reed Taylor, who finds his time too limited to give the office attention. Mr. Fisher's energy, as well as his knowledge of matters ornithological, will prove him a valuable memberof THE CONDOR'S staff, and this magazit:e looks eonden;ly forward to carrying out to some extent dnring ?9o?, its ideas of what constitute an ideal ornithological magazine. "lh I?/ay 0f the lrans0ress0r Is Iiari." In the March-April COSDOR for t9oo, we called attention editorially to a cir- cular sent out by one, W. B. Cara?vay of Alma, Ark., in which he posed as a dealer in song birds. At the end of the circular occurred a paragraph reading as follows: "I, Ve can fi?rnish birds' skins and skins of small animals (native) for laxidermisls and millineff purposes in large quartrilles at reasonable prices." It appears that a copy of T?F? Co?- r)o? containing the edit,rial was sent by Mr. Otto Widmann of Old Orchard, Mo. to Mrs. Louise MeG. Stephenson, a member of the A. O. U Committee for the Protection of Birds, residing at Helena, Ark. Mrs. Stephenson writes that previous to this she had written all the circuit judges of Arkansas asking them to charge the grand juries in their circtiits with regard to the 'Bird Law Act' which is operative in Arkansas. Among the judges who responded was one residing in the circuit where lives the offender, Caraway. A copy of T?U Co?r)oR's editorial and some of Mr. Caraway's circulars were sent by Mrs. Stephenson to the judge, who replied that he had given them into his prosecuting attorney's hands. The results are apparent from the following copy of a letter kindly furnished Tttv, CONDO? by Mrs. Steph- enson. W. B. CARAWAY, DEALER IN Living Wild Animals and Birds for Scientific and Propagating Purposes. Pet Stock of All Kinds. ALMA, ARKANSAS, U.S. A., Dec. ?st. ?9oo. Mrs. Louise McGowen Stephenson, Helena, Arkansas. Dear Madam:--I have to inform you that through your infornmtion to Judge J. H. Evans of this, the Crawford County Circuit Court, I was indicted by the Grand Jury for exporting wild birds from this state for which i will have to pay a heavy fine, costs etc. Now ir may have been your duty to have re- ported me to rhe court for this but to be plain and honest with you [ did not even know there was a law against shipping live birds for breed- ing or propagating purposes or animals of any kind for this purpose. [ do know that I can get allI want in other states shipped per my orders forbreeding&etc. I don't want to violate our laws and am a lawful abiding citizen born and reared in this state, a democrat and a southern man--if you had kindly written me before hand explaining there was a law against shipping birds I of course would have ceased doing so at once. It don't seem to me that i, a stranger, should de- serve this kind of treatment from your hands and it is hard for me to pay out money, besides the unpleasant notoriety [ get in the matter. Under the above circumstances I don't be- lieve I would have treated a person like you have me for I believe iu that old adage: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Respectfully, W. B. CARAWAY. Arkansas justice and Mrs. Stephen- son are to be commended for this valu- able effort toward bird protection and Mr. Caraway has very naturally reached that stage where penitence is becoming! But it may be safely assumed that the evidence was ample to warrant a con- viction. One of the ?veak points in Mr. Caraway's plea is that he ascribes his conviction to exporting wild birds from out of his state. This evidently does not constitute the most serious offense of which he was guilty, for his offer to supply the millinery trade "in large quantities at reasonable prices" must be taken as evidence of his willingness to execute any possible orders in this line. Wherefore, his conviction is a step in the right direction.