338 HKITISII BIRDS. [vol. vr. 



crop of ringing to do about the third week in June, but 

 whether these young ones are the progenj^ of birds that have 

 already reared one brood, there has been no proof until 1912, 

 though I have always considered that some of them were. 



With a view to reaching some definite conclusions, I have 

 analysed my records for 1912 (the first year that marked 

 birds have been recovered in any numbers) and the results 

 are somewhat suri)rising. I find that I have records of 

 thirtj^-two nesting-places, and there were at least three or 

 four besides that were never occupied at all. Of these thirty- 

 two, nineteen contained young nearly ready to fly \\-hich 

 were ringed between May 18th and 24th ; to these may be 

 added five more that contained eggs or small young at the 

 same date and Avhich may with certainty be reckoned as first 

 broods, though perhaps those of birds that had been pre\'iouslj^ 

 disturbed. This leaves eight " boxes " unoccupied, besides 

 those mentioned above. The second layings commenced very 

 soon after the young ones flew, and in t\\-o instances at least 

 at an interval of only three days in the same boxes. There 

 were no less than twenty-two of these later broods, leaving 

 ten boxes unoccupied, while no less than fourteen boxes were 

 used twice over. The young in these broods were large 

 enough to ring between the 16th and 20th of June. 



On these facts it A\'ould seem as though a considerable 

 percentage of these Starlings were double-brooded, but it 

 would be unsafe to draw this conclusion as the number of 

 earlier nests in 1912 was distinctly below the average, and 

 it may well have been that for some reason or other some at 

 least postponed their nesting-operations until late in May. 

 Be this as it may, there is definite proof from marked birds 

 that at least two pairs did rear two broods, and in con- 

 cluding with the evidence for this I would urge others \^ho 

 may be aware of any similar instances to publish them. 

 Box 57. — Adult female ringed while sitting on eggs (No. B.B. 



7109), May 20th, 1911. 



Caught on eggs, April 21st, 1912. 



Young ringed May 18th and flew 20th. 



Caught on eggs June 6th, young subsequently flew. 

 Box H.- — Adult female caught on eggs and ringed (No. B.B. 



14512), April 21st, 1912. 



Young ringed May 18th and flew 20th. 

 Box J. — Adult female (14512) caught on eggs, June 6th. 



Young ringed June 20th. 

 The above facts were briefly recorded {sup'-a, p. 97) in the 

 list of marked birds recovered, but in the mass of statistics 

 their significance is perhaps not very apparent. 



