328 British Birds 



posure, you hear the singing cease, then you know they are 

 coming towards the nest, or have reached it. 



The male does not only sing overhead, l)ut will pitch 

 on a bush or twig near the ground and continue his lay. 



the Sky -lark is well-known in captivity and has been 

 bred on several occasions both in cage and aviary. 



As regards diet, a good soft food mixture, :a small 

 piece of turf, and some live insects, with a little Canary-seed 

 occciiiionally, and opportunity to take a dust bath will about 

 suffice for its needs, if properly housed. 

 {To he conti)iued). 



Stray Notes. 



Sir, — Last month 1 had the following birds brought to 

 me from rather unusual sources: 



Landrail, picked up on a tloor-step. 



Water-rail, caught in a drawing-room. 



Dottrel, with damaged Aving, evidently through tlying 



against a telegraph wire. 



WALTER SWAYSLANl). 



Marked Birds. 



Sir, — In reply to Miss riihic's interesting account 'of 

 the Blue Tit that Hew into lier room, and which siie found 

 to be marked with a ring, I may say that' it was one that 

 I had marked this summer, when young in a nesting box. 

 Symington, where Miss Pithie lives, is about seven miles from 

 here. It is a curious coincidence that a bird marked by one 

 member of the club should be found by another. Altogether 

 this spring and summer I Imarked Ijetween live and six hundred 

 birds, mostly young in the nest, wath the Aberdeen University 

 Migration Inquiry Rings. This marking of birds will, it 

 is hoped, help to solve the great question of migration of birds, 

 of which so little is really known. 



If any members of our Club would like to help ,l)y 

 marking birds, they should write to T. T. Landsborough 

 Thompson, Esq., Bird Migration Inquiry, The University, 

 Aberdeen, who is at the head of the Inquiry, and who will, 

 1 feel sure, be glad of more markers. 



Beaulieu, Hants. PHILIP GOSSE. 



