282 BRITISH BIRDS. 



slip over the foot of each bird, and quite a moderate amount 

 of force must be used in testing this. 



I have marked most of the young in three broods of Gold- 

 crests, and in one case had the satisfaction of seeing the 

 young birds about for several days quite unencumbered by 

 their shining bracelets. When one looks into a nest containing 

 nearly full-fledged Gold crests, it appears at first sight to 

 be empty. The young birds are found to be clinging tightly 

 to the lining of feathers all round the interior of the nest. 



What has become of all the marked nestlings in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bradfield, Berks, where I ringed so many birds ? 

 I marked about one hundred and seventy Blackbirds and 

 Thrushes within a mile of my house, yet since July, when 

 some were recovered in fruit-nets, in spite of careful watch, 

 I have seen only one of these birds, viz., a Blackbird, on 

 January 4th, 1911. I have also seen or caught besides those 

 already recorded the following birds : — • 



Great Tit [Parus major). — Nestling in nest-box, ringed 

 May 31st, 1910, seen at cocoanut close by on December 11th, 

 1910. I recognized this bird by the fact that it was one of 

 the only brood in which I pinched up the ring without over- 

 lapping the ends. 



Blackbird {Turdus merula). — Adult male caught in 

 fruit-net and ringed (No. 11,236) July 25th, 1910. Seen on 

 several occasions close by and captured alive December 29th, 

 1910. 



Starling {Sturnus vulgaris). — Nestling in nest-box, ringed 

 (No. 7462) May 15th, 1910, caught in wire cage-trap about 

 two hundred yards away January 13th, 1911. 



Starling. — Nestling in nest-box, ringed (No. 10,062), 

 June 1st, 1910, caught in wire cage-trap about two hundred 

 yards away January 13th, 1911. 



It is interesting to note that the Blackbird above mentioned 

 and the Hedge-Sparrow recorded in this volume on page 8 

 were almost the only adult birds I marked during last summer. 

 The Starlings were taken in a cage-trap made as described 

 by Dr. Ticehurst {ante, j). 237). This trap has j? roved to be 

 most useful. I have taken over one hundred and twenty 

 Starlings in four days, although I only visited it twice a day. 

 About six per cent, of the Starlings are caught a second 

 time, but when the trap is baited for Tits one finds it is 

 necessary to set free two or even three ringed Blue Tits 

 whenever it is visited. I have found it necessary to add a 

 door to mine, so that I can enter the trap and catch the 

 Starlings with my hands, as it takes too long to catch over 

 thirty birds in a butterfly-net. N. H. Joy. 



