BIRD NEWS 



Kinged Birds 



Much interest has ever been cen- 

 tred in the mysteries of migration. 

 In an effort to obtain more informa- 

 tion upon the subject, the novel ex- 

 l)edient of ringing-birds has been 

 adopted. Our esteemed friend Al- 

 win Haagner of Pretona, Transvaal, 

 forwards some interesting notes. 



Hungarian Stork in Natal. — The 

 following correspondence appeared 

 in the London Times: — 



(i) Hungarian Stork in Natal. — 

 Mr. Peter McKenzie writes from Sea- 

 forth, Himeville, District Polela, Na- 

 tal, under date February 4: — "On 

 January 30, 1909, my nephew shot 

 a stork with his rifle. On examin- 

 ing it he was astonished to find a 

 metal band round one of its legs. 

 On this band was the following in- 

 scription: — 'Ornith. Kozspout, Buda- 

 pest, Hungaria, 209.' Should you 

 find room for these few lines, I hope 

 they may come to the notice of those 

 who put the band on. Polela is the 

 south-westernmost district of Natal, 

 adjoining Basutoland." — 'Times,' 

 weekly edition. Mar. 5th, 19 09. 



(ii.) Bird Migration; to the editor 

 of the 'Times.' — Sir, The notice of 

 'The Times,' March 3, "A Hungarian 

 Stork in Natal," roused everywhere 

 the greatest interest. This encour- 

 ages me to ask you the favor of 

 your publicity for the following con- 

 siderations. 



One of the hardest points to 

 solve concerning the problem of bird 

 migration was the question whether 

 our birds going to Africa for winter- 

 quarters, pass the Equator. The 

 Hungarian Stork shot in Natal is a 

 direct proof that they pass the Equ- 

 ator, and the ringed Stork liberated 

 in North Germany which was killed 

 in the Bushmen's country is a fur- 

 ther evidence of the fact. In both 

 cases the identity of the individual 

 was established with full certainty; 



and this invests them with the high- 

 est importance. 



The geographical elements of the 

 Hungarian Stork shot in Natal were 

 the following: — 



It was liberated on the nest, as 

 young one, at Hidveg, in the south- 

 easter part of Hungary (Transyl- 

 vania), lying under N. lat. 4 5 deg., 

 3 min. and E. long. (Greenwich) 

 25 deg., 30 min., on July 8, 1908. 

 with a ring bearing No. 209. The 

 bird reached Polela in Natal, which 

 lies under S. lat. 30 deg. and E. 

 long. 3 deg. The course taken was 

 nearly straight to the south, and 

 passing the Equator, the length of 

 travel in aerial line being about 8 60 

 kilometers. 



As a committee was formed re- 

 cently at Pretoria for the observa- 

 tion of bird migration after the Hun- 

 garian model, and as our Stork pene- 

 trated very deeply into the country 

 of our South African friends, the 

 high significance of the case may 

 be judged by this; and I express the 

 hope that the migration of the Stork 

 may soon be clearly established, 

 chiefly if the daily press, the most 

 modern of great powers, gives it is 

 mighty help, as in the present case. 



With the assurance of my esteem, 

 believe me. Sir, Yours respectfully, 

 Otto Herman, Director. Royal Hun- 

 garian central Bureau for Orintholo- 

 gy, Budapest, March 12. — Times, 

 weekly ed.., March 19th, 1909. 



Ringing of Migratory Birds — Ac- 

 cording to the last number of 'Brit- 

 ish Birds,' Mr. Harry Witherby has 

 also commenced in England the Hun- 

 garian and Rositten system of ring- 

 ing migratory bii^ds. We believe 

 Scotland will follow in the wake, so 

 that it behoves South African orni- 

 thologists to keep a keen look-out 

 for such birds in the future, and to 

 notify the Secretary of the S.A.O.U. 

 immediately any ringed bird is pro- 



