1924- Notes. 123 



NOTES. 



Observations on the Robin. 



In the September number of " British Birds " Mr. J. P. Burkitt con- 

 tinues his account of the " Study of the Robin by means of Marked 

 Birds," to which we drew attention in our issue of July (pp. 74-5). In 

 the tirst paper the story of Mr. Burkitt's observations was brought up 

 the 6tli of January in the present year, at which time the writer had in 

 his area seventeen marked birds, of whom fourteen were in occupation 

 of definite sites, while the other three would seem to have been compara- 

 tively erratic in their appearances. In eight of these seventeen winter 

 residents Mr. Burkitt had made sure of the sex, and seven of the eight 

 were male."^., all his marked females of the previous year's nesting season 

 having left his grounds some time before winter set in. In the course 

 of the spring, however, two of the old marked females returned, as well as 

 some new birds of both sexes ; while several males disappeared, of whom 

 one was seen to be forcibly ejected from his territory to increase the 

 domain (a fairly large one already, Mr. Burkitt considers) of one of the 

 newly-formed pairs. Altogether nine pairs were formed, while two of 

 the marked winter residents, presumed to be both of the male sex, were 

 left mateless. 



It is worth remarking that no single case occurred of any of Mr. 

 Burkitt's Robins pairing in 1924 with the same mate as had been his or 

 her consort in 1923. One bird (14 F) who had had two mates (9 M and 17 M) 

 in 1923, mated in 1924 with a third husband (18 M), though the old mate 

 (9 M) was still available, and subsequently obtained another wife (36 F). 

 But there was less inconstancy in regard to land than to husbands ; for 

 we are told that " the two marked females which returned became mated 

 in territories, part of which in each case was a part of their previous 

 year's territory." Altogether, Mr. Burkitt's two papers, containing as 

 they do individual histories of as man}^ as forty marked birds, are among 

 the most valuable contributions that have ever been made to the study 

 of so common and familiar a bird as the Robin. The amount of patience 

 needed for such sustained observation is incalculable. Still we cannot 

 refrain from hoping that the study may be continued for at least one 

 more year. 



Fulmars in Co. Clare. 



I have to report seeing Fulmars on the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, during 

 the first week of July last. They had evidently bred there, as little 

 family parties appeared to be scattered about the cliff face amongst the 

 other birds. One family, not far from where I was lying on the cliff 

 edge, seemed greatly interested in our party, and one bird came several 

 times within a few yards of me, so that all details, including the bill, 

 could be plainly seen v/ith the unaided eye. The parents of this family 

 appeared to be teaching their baby a few " stunts," and took' their turn 

 in " showing off," which antics I w^atched for a considerable time. In 



