176 THE CONDOR VoL. XlI THE CONDOIk An Illustrated l?la?azine of Western Ornithology Publiskt Bi-Monthly by the Cooper OrnitholQ?i- eal Club of CallforniL JOSEPH GRINNELL, Editor, Berkeley, CLI. J. EVGENE LAW, Business M?nager, Hollywood, Cal. W. LEE CHAMBER. S, Business Manager, SantL Monica. HARleY S. SWAR.TH ]. . . ROBERT B. ROCKWELL ? AIIOCILTe Editors Hollywood, California: Publisht Sept. 20, 1910 SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Dollar and Fifty Cents per Year in the United States, Mexico, and U.S. Colonies, payable in advance. Thirty Cents the single copy. One Dollar and Seventy-five Cents per Year in all other countries iu the hJteruational Postal Union. Claims for missinn or imperfect numbers should be made within thirty days of date of issue. Subscriptions and Exchanges shonld be sent to the Btlsines$ Manager. M&nuscrlpts /or publication, and Books and P&pers for review shonld be sent to the Editor. AdvertSzing Rates on application. EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS The Editor is in a quandary. Within the past three months he has been roundly scored by a few persistent conservatives for his em- ployment of simplified spelling on the pages of THE CONDOR. It is asserted that he is divert- ing the nmgazine for public exploitation of personal whims; that he is doing this con- trary to the wishes of the "great xnajority" of members of the Cooper Ornithological Club, to whom this magazine belongs; that simplified spelling is so offensive to "many" of our teati- ers as to render an otherwise pleasing magazine an actual eyesore (!); and finally that if he would only consult the wishes of his constitu- ents there is no dout but that he wold be compelled to reinstate old-fashioned spelling. On the other hand it will be remembered that the present Editor has alredy put this very question to a vote of Cooper Club members (see vol. zx, 1907, pp. 61 and 112). By a vote of more than 2 to 1 he was instructed to use simplified spelling! Furthermore we have re- ceived quite as many letters of commendation for our adoption of it as remonstrances against it. Our own personal feelings are strongly in favor of it; we are convinced that it is a sensi- ble reform in the direction of economy and consistency, and that its universal adoption is only a matter of time. Why not be alittle ahead of the trend of improvement, contribut- ing to its advancement, rather than in the rear, retanling it ? The arguments put' forth against simplified spelling, as far as we have heard them, are so weak as to be pitiful. The reasons for its adoption are overwhelming. If any of our readers are not familiar with the latter, an authorized list of simplifications, and other lit- erature relating to the movement will be fur- nisht gratis upon application to the Simplified Spelling Board, 1 Madison Avenue, New York City. Now, in order to placate our militant remon- strants, and to give opportunity to those favor- able to progress to again state their preferences in this matter, we propose to invite an expres- sion of opinion by vote, and we hereby affirm that we will bide by the majority decision, whichever way it turns, beginning with the first issue of volume xHI (January, 1911). Write on a postal card "Simplified Spelling, yes" or "Simplified Spelling, no", sign your nmue, and mail it to the Editor of THE CONDOR, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, Cali- fornia. Voting will be ended December 10, 1910, thus giving over two months for consid- eration on the part of those who wish to famil- iarize themselves with the proposition. Of course only votes of Cooper Club members will be considered. With over 300 members, aml voting being by mail, there shouhl be a very large response, much more significant of the Club's wishes than if the vote were restricted to those present at a meeting. The result will be announced in our Jannary issue. To repeat, the Editor hopes that he will be authorized to relain simplified spelling; lint if the reverse happens, he agrees to defer meekly to the will of the majority, and thenceforth conduct our magazine accordingiy. This is, to be sure, a magazine of ornithology, and not of etymology or orthografy. Mode of spell- ing may not appear very closely related to its field. But ultimate success in an undertaking often depends upon a score of incidentals not less than upon the main issue. Progress, im- provement, reform, are in the air. A movement is on foot to organize a Central Division of the Cooper Club in the Fresno dis- trict of California. There are alredy enuf Club members in that region to ensure a beginning. But it is of course desired that the demand for such an organization be evinced by as large an initial gathering as possible. All those inter- ested will please write to Mr. John G. Tyler, 1114 Belmont Avenue, Fresno, stating their views as to how and where such organization may be best effected. Under the direction of Professor C.F. Hodge, of Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, organized efforts have been made the past two seasons to ascertain whether or not the Passenger Pigeon still exists. Large rewards were offered, aggregating over $I000.00, solely for information of location of undisturbed nestings, so that steps might be taken, if any such were discov- ered, to secure safety and perpetuation of the free, wild pigeon. We regret to say that up to July 1, 1910, no authenticated case had been reported. Several reports coming from Call-
