1 9 1 7« ] Letters^ Extracts, and Notes. 119 



commou on the mainland and on Tierra del Fuego than on 

 the Falklands. 



Third. The power of flight may be associated Avith a 

 different size and different plumage, but this fact has not 

 been clearly demonstrated. 



Fourth. The Falkland Island Steamer Ducks are well 

 differentiated as to sex. The males are large and light 

 coloured (apparently getting lighter with age) and have 

 yellow bills (at least in the breeding-season). The females 

 are smaller, browner, and have dark bills. 



Fifth. The species seems to be on the border-land as 

 concerns its power of fliglit. Even in non-flying birds 

 there is a marked variation in the ability to use the wings. 



J. C. Phillips. 



Wenhaui, Mass., U.S.A. 

 28 August, 1916. 



Birds at the Front. 



Sir, — You may be interested to hear that in a wood in 

 which there were no plants left on the ground, and no 

 leaves on what remained of the trees except for a few stool- 

 shoots thrown out by some, I was yet able to observe the 

 following birds on one day (Sept. 7) : — Blackbird, Thrush, 

 Chaffinch, Great Tit, Jay, Hedge-Sparrow, Starling, Magpie, 

 Swallow, and Hobby. The last four were only flying over. 

 The Thrush and Blackbird I heard at dawn and the others 

 shortly afterwards, in a remarkably welcome time of quiet 

 which the Germans allowed us for a few hours ; the Jays 

 were a pair which came tli rough the bare trees in the after- 

 noon. The Great Tit and Hedge-Spariow 1 had heard 

 there two days before, so they were evidently remaining 

 in what had been their wood. One of the Chaffinches flew 

 poorly and had a hoarse call-note : ])erhaps it had got 

 shell-shock. 



In my present position I am able to watch migration 

 most mornings : a fortnight ago there Avere Yellow Wagtails 

 and Tree-Pipits with the Meadow-Pipits, but now the chief 



