We believe, therefore, we may venture to say, that our relations with our subscribers are of a wholly different and more intimate nature than those which exist between the publishers and purchasers of magazines which yield an adequate money return for labor expended.
We have common interests to the furtherance of which we, for our part, are willing to devote no little time and thought, as we trust is shown by our announcements for 1900. To properly carry out our plans, however, it will be necessary to increase the size of Bird-Lore, a step not as yet warranted by our subscription list. We would, therefore, ask the coöperation of every reader who has at heart the interests of bird study and bird protection. This coöperation may be shown in one or both of two ways: First, you may aid in increasing Bird-Lore's circulation by securing new subscribers, by presenting a year's subscription as a Christmas gift to some friend who is interested, or whom you want to interest in birds, or by suggesting this course to others. Second, you may assist us by promptly renewing your subscription when it expires, or in the event of your not caring to re-subscribe, we ask, as a means of regulating our edition, that you kindly send us a postal to that effect.
Bird-Lore for 1900
Bird-Lore for 1900 will, we think, reach a standard of excellence not before attained by a journal of popular ornithology. No effort has been spared to secure authoritative articles of interest to the general reader, as well as those of practical value to the teacher and student.
There will be papers by John Burroughs, recording the rarer birds he has observed about his home; by Bradford Torrey, describing his methods of attracting winter birds; by Robert Ridgway, on song birds in Europe and America; by Otto Widmann, on a visit to Audubon's birthplace; and also contributions from William Brewster, E. A. Mearns, C. Hart Merriam, T. S. Roberts, and other well-known ornithologists.
A valuable contribution to the study of bird migration will be a paper by Captain Reynaud, in charge of the Homing Pigeon Service of the French Army, who will write of his experiments in this branch of the service.
Attention will be paid to the bird-life of countries made prominent by recent events: L. M. McCormick, who has lately returned from the Philippines, writing of the birds of Luzon; H. W. Henshaw, of the birds of Hawaii, where he has long been a resident; Tappan Adney, who passed a year in the Klondike, of the birds of that region; and F. M. Chapman, of the birds of Cuba.