Jim, I am vote for no index in the yellow book. I know the checklist order at the family and (mostly) at the genus and even sometimes species level. I don't mind learning the exact new order by simply leafing through it repeatedly. It is unfortunate that you have to start from scratch for the next version! Best, Rob Hilton robert@csa.com Bethesda At 07:33 AM 07/28/1999 EDT, you wrote: >Hi Folks! > >I will take the entire credit for NOT having an Index on the Yellow Book. >Marshall wanted one, and I believe Bob was not opposed, but I had the final >word and decided against it. My reasoning was simple: if there was an Index, >many fewer world learn the checklist order. > >The order in the current Yellow Book is essentially what had been in use for >many years. The next edition, whenever that may appear, will have all of the >changes recently adopted by the American Ornithologists Union [AOU}. Vultures >will be moved to storks, the ducks rearranged, vireos will be after crows but >before chickadees, and the "cardinal finches" moved to after the blackbirds. >If I have my way again, there will be no Index! :-) > >On another note. The computer graphics program used to create the Yellow >Book was developed in 1985. It does not support modern printers. It is not >Y2K compliant. The 486 that I ran it on has died and my 188 does not have a >5.25 floppy drive. The next edition will have to be made from scratch. > >Good Birding! > >Jim > >Jim Stasz >North Beach MD >jlstasz@aol.com >