Re: Ordering July '98 National Geographic

["Ralph Miller III" <gbabcock@best.com>]

 Some of you, no doubt, would like to purchase a copy of the July 1998
_National
 Geographic_ magazine (the one with Brian Cooley's _Caudipteryx_ model on
 the cover).  For those of you who haven't seen it, the magazine also has a
 photo of Brian Cooley's _Sinosauropteryx_ model; illustrations of the
 "evolution of a wing," "the path to birds," and "comparing dinosaurs and
 birds;" and photos of specimens of _Caudipteryx_, _Protarchaeopteryx_,
 _Sinosauropteryx_, _Confuciusornis_, and the nestling bird from Spain. 
For
 the literate among you, there's an article, too.  8^)
 
 It is true that _National Geographic_ magazine is basically available only
 by subscription (or "membership," as they like to say), as evidenced by
the
 absence of a printed price on the cover.  Exceptional bookstores have been
 known to sell it, but this is exceedingly rare.  But wait!  (And I do mean
wait)!  You can order a single issue (or multiple single issues) from the
 National Geographic Society.
 
 If you live in the USA, you can reach the NGS ordering department at
 1-800-437-5521, and request the above-named issue.  The one catch is that
 these are not yet available as back issues.  I ordered mine anyway, and
was
 told that the July issue would become available as a back issue in
 approximately one month, at which time the issue can be shipped out.  The
 actual delivery (to destinations within the continental US) will require
an
 additional 1-3 weeks, so if you order it today, it should arrive by
 mid-August (in the continental US).  The price per issue is $5.00, but
 additional taxes and shipping costs may be required as well.
 
 For international ordering information, locate the National Geographic
 Society at <www.nationalgeographic.com>, then click on <NGS Store>, then
 click on <single issues>, and go from there.  Of course, the web site only
 offers issues up to March 1998 (!), but, as I have said, you can preorder
 the July issue now.  Yes, it seems you will have to wait a while to
 actually get it, but you will get it.  Patience, dear readers.  Think how
 long John H. Ostrom had to wait to see such things!
 
 -- Ralph Miller III     gbabcock@best.com