Page:Condor4(6).djvu/22

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

146 THE CONDOR Vol. IV THE CONDOR. Bulletin of the COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB o?* C?XX*ORNI?. Published bi-monthly at Santa Clara, Cal., in the interests and as Official Organ of the Club. WALTER K. FISHER, Palo Alto, Cal. Editor JOSEPH GRINNELL, Palo Alto, Cal. Business Manager. HOWARD ROBERTSON, Box 55, Sta. A., Los Angeles. Associate. Subscription, (in advance) One Dollar a Year. Single Copies, - ...... 25 Cents. Six Copies or more of one issue, x2? Cents Each. Foreign Subscription, - ..... Sl.2 5. Free to Honorary Members and to Active Members not in arrears for dues. Advertising rates will be sent on application. Manuscripts and exchanges should be sent to the Editor-in-Chief. Advertisements and subscriptions should be sent to the Business Manager. Entered at the Santa Clara Post-office as second class matter. This issue of The Condor was matled l?ov. x8. EDITORIAL. Chester Barlow, editor of this magazine, passed away Thursday morning, November sixth, at the home of his uncle, 'Mr. W. W. Brown, near Mountain View, Santa Clara coun- ty. He had been seriously ill for some time, and the end, though feared by his friends, came rather suddenly. His death will prove a great blow to his many friends, and to the science of Ornith- ology, which he followed with so much credit to himself, and advantage to his fellow men. Chester Barlow has done more to spread an in- terest in Ornithology and to stimulate bird study on the west coast than any one man, liv- ing or dead, and when this is fully realized, the fraternity at large will appreciate our loss. A man of charming personality and generous character, Chester Barlow was universally lov- ed, and in the hearts of his nearer friends he holds a quite unique place--one which time can never destroy. He had the power of in- spiring confidence and enthusiasm, and stimu- lated others to better things. He thoroughly enjoyed his chosen hobby and either in the field or study was a delightful companion. Many are there of our Cooper Club "boys", who remember him plodding cheerily over hills in quest of eagles' eggs, or off at dawn for some early set, to whom the simple announce- ment of his death will bring a nameless pang. He is gone, but so long as generous manhood and faithful friendship are cherished, so long will his memory be green among us. The funeral was held Sunday, November ninth, from the home of his uncle, and many of his old friends of the Cooper Club were pres- ent to act as pall-bearers. I On November I4th a special business meet- ing was held at Stanford University, when Mr. Chas. R. Keyes of Berkeley was elected Secre- tary of the Club for the remainder of this year, and for x9o 3. At the same time Mr. Joseph Grinnell was elected Business Manager-Treas- urer, his duties to begin at once. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.--Hereafter all manuscripts for publication, exchanges, and books for review should be mailed to Walter K. Fisher, Palo Alto, Cal. All communications of a business nature, such as subscriptions, dues, and advertisements should be sent to Joseph Grinnell, Palo Alto, Cal. Communica- tions concerning the Club, not intended for publication, should be forwarded to Charles R. Keyes, 22ol Ellsworth St., Berkeley, Cal. Our January issue will be a memorial num- ber dedicated to the memory of Chester Barlow. COMMUNICATIONS. EDITOR of 'TI-It!: CONDOR': I wish to raise my voice of protest, fee- ble and ineffective though it may be, against what seems to me cruel indifference to and lack of genuine sympathy with bird life, on the part of some of the scientific ornithologists, and especially of those who are but little more than collectors of "specimens" for private ex- ploitation. There is no doubt that we need the work of certain students of bird anatomy for the sake of accuracy in nomenclature and classification; and we need a few collections no doubt of dead and stuffed birdskins for purposes of study and illustration in connection with scientific schools. But the unflinching, destructive dis- position of some, even of the better class of collectors seems to me without excuse and ab- horent to the lover of life in Nature. They would not think of killing, even in the Philippines, varying specimens of the gen- us Homo, merely for purposes of anatomical study, to embellish some museum or to settle a disputed point of faunal geography. And yet they have no hesitation in taking the lives of other animals, who are in some respects super- ior to themselves, for just such purposes of cur- iosity, or, what is worse, for merely selfish am-