148 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



birds at night with the aid of bright lamps, or as migrants 

 at the lighthouse lanterns. 



Routine. — Early in the year each of our co-operators in 

 the work of marking fills up and sends us an estimate of the 

 additional quantities of rings of various sizes he expects to 

 be able to use during the season. Rings are sent out by us 

 accordingly, or at any other time that they are specially 

 asked for. The numbers, sizes, and destinations of all rings 

 issued are carefully noted by us, and all reappearances of 

 marked birds are checked by these notes. Along with the 

 rings we send out schedules on which the data about all 

 birds marked are filled in. The following information is asked 

 for, each item in a separate column: (i) Number on ring; 

 (2) Species of bird ; (3) Date of marking and release ; (4) 

 Locality of same ; (5) How obtained (" as young," etc.); (6) 

 Sex and age so far as certain ; and any other remarks, 

 including bracketing together members of the same brood, 

 etc., with word to that effect. The marker's name is filled 

 in at the top, and we give each schedule a reference number 

 as it comes in. 



Each schedule holds the data of seven or more marked 

 birds, and is sent in as soon as it is complete, or when any 

 record in it is a month old, whichever happens first. The 

 data are transcribed into large ledgers, in which the entries 

 are arranged according to the ring numbers. These ledgers 

 are provided with five columns corresponding to those of the 

 data schedules, with additional columns for the marker's 

 name, the schedule's reference number, and also for the size 

 of the ring. A final column is left blank for the purpose of 

 entering a reference to the page in the separate book in 

 which reappearance records are entered, each on a page of 

 its own, as they come in. 



Reappearances. — When one of our marked birds is reported 

 to us as killed, or recaptured, the number on the ring is what 

 we chiefly desire, along with a note of the locality and 

 approximate date of the occurrence. When possible we get 

 the ring, or ring and foot, sent to us that we may verify the 

 number for ourselves. The identification of the species, 

 when possible, is an additional check on the accuracy of 



