70 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



It is not an easy matter to select a species of bird that "will meet all 

 the conditions given above as desirable for the one to be studied, but 

 there are several that fultill a part of them, at least. As far as the 

 matter of plumage goes the red-winged blackbird seems to offer as good 

 a subject for easy identification as any, and would also be favorable in 

 other ways; but it is possible that further thought max suggest a better. 



To answer some of the questions ijropounded above an even more 

 exact method will probably be needed, and it is possible that for this 

 some Vuch plan as that pursued by the United States Fish Commission 

 might be utilized. In order to get information of the movements of tish 

 the}' fasten numbered tags upon individuals that have been caught and 

 let them go again, keeping accurate record of the numbers and all the 

 data of release. Instructions are dispersed among the fishermen of 

 the region asking them to return all labels they may find on the fish 

 they take, together with the data of capture, such as locality, condi- 

 tion of the fish, etc. As 1 hhj, it is possible such a plan might be used 

 in following the movements of individual birds, if some way could 

 be devised of numbering them which would not interfere with the bird 

 in any way, and would still be conspicuous enough to attract the atten- 

 tion of any person who might chance to shoot or capture it. 



A trial of the methods I have attempted to outline would necessarily 

 entail consider.nble labor and require much time of the person direct- 

 ing it, and could jnobably be carried on best by a committee of some 

 scientific society or other organization. A number of years at least 

 Avould be required to settle with definiteuess many of the questions, and 

 some of them might require manj' years of continued observations. 

 On the other hand a very complete account would bo collected of the 

 habits of at least one species, and many interesting things would un- 

 doubtedly come out that had not been thought of before. Perhaps it 

 would be found that more than one species could be studied advanta- 

 geously at the same time, as, for instance, one bird that is a summer resi- 

 dent and another that is a winter visitant within the region where ob- 

 servations are being made. The aim would ever be to obtain the most 

 complete data for as many species as possible. 



