NOTES. 281 



NOTES ON "RINGING" SMALLER BIRDS. 



Having ringed over seven hundred birds of forty-three 

 species, of which only about thirty individuals required the 

 large-sized ring, I have probably had more practice, as far 

 as the smaller birds are concerned, than most people in this 

 fascinating pastime, and I therefore venture to put on record 

 a few of my experiences — in the hope that they may be of 

 some help to others this year. 



The medium-sized rings exactly fit Blackbirds, Thrushes 

 and Starlings. They can therefore be put on and simply 

 pinched up with the fingers as soon as it is found that they 

 cannot slip over the foot of the nestling — in the case of young 

 Blackbirds and Thrushes when they are about half-fledged, 

 and some time before they attempt to fly from the nest, 

 and in young Starlings when they are still almost naked. 

 Fully-fledged nestling Starlings readily scramble back into 

 their nesting-holes, but it is very difficult to induce nearly 

 full-fledged birds in open nests to remain in the nest when 

 once frightened from it. That they always come to grief 

 when disturbed too soon is certainly not the case, as the 

 Thrush recorded from Norfolk {supra, p. 208) was one of 

 five, hardly able to fly, which refused to stay in their nest 

 after being marked. When I think that the nestlings which 

 I am about to mark are likely to fly from the nest, I very 

 cautiously put my hand over all of them at once, and contrive 

 to pick them up en masse and jjut them in my pocket. Having 

 ringed them I again manage to get them all together in my 

 hand and thus replace them in the nest, holding my hand 

 over them for a short time before quietly removing it. There 

 is almost always one particularly active and vociferous 

 member of the brood, and this one I try to get well under 

 the others, because should it get a chance it will fly out and 

 disturb all the rest. Nestling Wrens and Finches are easily 

 frightened, and insist on leaving the nest when only partially 

 fledged and long before they can fly, so they should be 

 marked early. Different broods of Robins vary very much 

 in this respect. 



The smallest-sized ring fits very few of the smaller birds 

 exactly. Instead of making the lumen smaller by pinching 

 it into an oval shape, as suggested with the instructions 

 sent with the rings, I find it more convenient (and I think 

 it safer for the bird, because it fits the leg better) slightly to 

 overlap the ends of the ring. Great care must be taken, 

 as suggested in the instructions, to see that the ring cannot 



