( 236 ) 

 RECAPTURING MARKED BIRDS. 



BY 

 C. B. TICEHURST. 



In April, 1908, I commenced ringing birds with aluminium 

 rings copied from Mr. Mortensen's pattern. These rings 

 I made myself and stamped them with my address and 

 a number. My object was to ascertain : — 



i. Whether individuals of any species nested in their 

 winter-haunts. 



ii. Whether individuals nested in the place of their 

 birth. 



iii. Whether individuals returned to the same place 

 to nest each year. 



iv. To throw some light on the migrations of individuals. 



Realizing that this last task was beyond the power of 

 the efforts of any one individual, since the number of 

 birds which I could ring in a year would be a mere drop 

 in the ocean, I induced Mr. Witherby to take the matter 

 up on a large scale through British Birds, and in 1909 

 the scheme was started Math which the readers will be 

 familiar. 



It has, however, occurred to me that more might be 

 done by those with sufficient time at their disposal to 

 gather facts regarding the first three points. 



It is obvious that in order to throw light on these three 

 questions some means must be sought of taking birds 

 alive without injuring them, and there are several ways 

 of doing this which I have utilized Avith success : — 



i. The ordinary clap-net. Any bird-catcher would 

 make one of any size desired. It is not difficult to learn 

 how to set up, and I have had fair success with it, 

 but it can only be worked at times when birds will come 

 down to food placed between the nets (unless call-birds 

 are used), and, of course, it requires constant attention. 

 It is a useful method of obtaining Robins, Hedge-Sparrows, 

 Tits and Finches, 



