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26 THE CONDOR Vol. 11I A Bird Protection Bill for California. Following is a draft of the protective Bird Bill which was prepared by the Cooper Or- nithological Club, and put in legal shape by Senator Edward K. Taylor of Alameda. The bill will be introduced in the California State Legislature which convened Jan. 7, by Senator Taylor and its successful passage is confidently hoped for. The bill received the endorsement of the California Fruit Growers' Convention and numerous Granges and Farmers' Clubs, and should it become a law California may well tongratulate itself upon taking rank with the foremost bird protection states of the Union. The bill reads as follows: An Act to amend the Penal Code by adding a new section to Title XV thereof, to be num- bered six hundred and thirty-seven and one- half, providing for the protection of wild birds and their eggs and nests. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: A new section is hereby added to the Penal Code and to Title XV thereof, to be num- bered six hundred and thirty-seven and one- half, as follows: Section637?. Every person who shall, in the State of California, take, gather or destroy the eggs or nests of, or hunt, shoot, shoot at, take, kill or destroy, buy, sell, give away or have in his possession any wild bird (except those species designated, generally known, and already protected as game birds), or who shall expose or have in his possession for sale, any part of the plumage, skin or body of any bird so protected, except as hereinafter provided, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; provided further, that nothing in this section shall pro- hibit the killing of the English Sparrow at any time, by anybody, or prohibit the killing of any bird, except by means of poison, by the owner or tenant of any premises where such bird is found destroying berries, fruits or crops growing on such premises. Certificates may be granted by any incor- porated society of natural history within the state, through such persons or officers as said society may designate. to any properly accred- ited person of fifteen years or upward, permit- ting the holder thereof to collect birds, their nests or eggs, for strictly scientific purposes only, or to keep native birds alive for study. The certificates authorized by this section shall be in force one year only from the date of their issue and shall not be transferable. This act shall take effect upon its passage. A CLUB PRESENTATION. At the meeting of the Ncrthern Division of the Cooper Club held in San Jose, Jan. I2, Mr. W. Otto Emerson retired from the presidency after three years of continuous service in that of- rice. At an appropriate moment Mr. H. R. Taylor arose and embodied in a brief speech the valu- able results which the club had accomplished during Mr. Emerson's administration. As a token of esteem, and appreciation of his serv- ices Mr. Taylor, upon behalf of the Northern Division, presented the popular ex-president with an inscribed cop5/of Ridgway's Manual. The inscription read as follows: "Presented to W. Otto Emerson by the Northern Division of the Cooper Ornithological Club of California, in appreciation of his valuable and energetic services as president through three consecutive terms of office, and as a tribute to his loyal efforts in behalf of the Club's Bird Protection Bill. Jan. I2, I9OI." EIGHTEENTiCI A. O. U. CONGRESS. The Annual Congress of the American Orni- thologists Union convened in the University Museum at Cambridge, Mass. from Nov. I3-I5. On the program were twenty titles, embracing many excellent and interesting subjects in ornithology. A number of papers were illus- trated by lantern slides and the session was. withal, one of the most interesting yet held by the Union. The Eighteenth Congress will be remembered more particularly because of the movement proposed to regulate the member- ship of the Union; the proposed action is re- ferred to in another column. The ]>etrelis the title of a bright t6-page monthly magazine on ornithology edited and published by John M. Martin of Palestine, Oreg., the initial issue bearing the date of January, t9oI. The magazine is neatly print- ed, and a number of interesting articles, prin- cipally of an oological trend, make up the con- tents of the number, being supplemented with several interesting half-tones of nests and eggs. Judging from its widely-distributed list of con- tributors, The ]>etrel will not restrict itself to any limited field and we trust that success may attend its career. Mr. Martin is well known as former publisher of the Ore. on JVaturalist. Subscription 50 cents. "Bird-Lore" Notice. I wish to announce that owing to Charles Keeler's unexpected departure on a prolonged cruise in the Pacific, Lyman Belding will con- tinue, from the standpoint of Stockton, the series of articles on California bird-life of which Mr. Keeler had contributed one nuutber to "Bird-Lore." I also desire lists of extra numbers of "Bird-Lore" which subscribers may have for disposal. FRANK M. CHAPMAN, En?lewood, N. f. EDITOR.