1 92 1.] Bird- Miff rat ion hij the Marhing Metliod. 475 



111 1909, the first efforts were made at bird-marking on a 

 large scale in the British Isles, two inquiries being started inde- 

 pendently and almost simultaneously, namel}^ the Aberdeen 

 University Inquiry, now under review, and Mr. H. F. 

 Witherby's scheme {2^) in connection with the magazine 

 " British Birds/' Of these, the latter is still in progress and 

 close on a hundred thousand birds have been marked : the 

 eventual publication of the collected and analysed results 

 wdll he an event of great importance to students of migration. 

 It may also be noted that some of the earlier markers merged 

 their work with the new schemes, as Mr. Tomlinson did his 

 with the Aberdeen University Inquiry, and Dr. Ticehurst 

 his with the ''British Birds" scheme, the work being 

 profitable only if undertaken on a very large scale. 



Methods of the Aberdeen University Inquiry. 



Each ring bore the address " Aberdeen University " 

 (contracted to ''Aberdeen Univ." on the smallest size), and 

 an identification number. A plain number, sometimes 

 written in two lines, was used where possible, but on the 

 smjiUest size the need for brevity led to the use of such 

 numbers as "0798," and letter combinations like "299 A." 

 After the first experimental stage the rings were made in the 

 following seven sizes, named in fractions of an inch, the first 

 four for ordinary use and the three largest for those markers 

 who had special facilities for ringing sea-fowl and other 

 large birds. The first three sizes were of the claspless pat- 

 tern, while the other rings were provided with the form of 

 clasp already described, and had also edges turned outwards 

 as flanges. 



l/8th— Fiiiclies, Swallows, Titmice, Redbreast, Lark, Sandpipers, 

 Little Tern, etc. 

 3/lGlhs — Thruslies, Starling, Lapwing, Snipe, etc. 

 l/4th — Woodcock, Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull, Kestrel, Teal, Stock- 

 Dove, etc. 

 5/lOtlis — Rook, Crows, Owls, Wood-Pigeon, Guillemot, Wigeon, etc. 

 3/8tlis— Herring-Gull, Mallard, etc. 

 1/2 — Gannet, etc. 

 5/8— Heron. 



{All these rings were made by Mr. Samuel Drake, Halifax.) 



