22 The Wilson Bi-llktin — No. 51. 



terest. If the bird had l^en saved, it would have been ex- 

 tremely interesting as a specimen of known age, developed 

 under natural, wild suroundings. Data on this subject is ex- 

 tremely rare and mlcst valuable from a plumage standpoint. 



There are many other birds whose tagging would probably 

 lead to interesting results. Bobolinks, from the fact that so 

 many are killed in the southern rice fields, would be apt to 

 turn up again, but are difficult to discover in the nest or to 

 catch when adult. Perhaps one of the most fruitful fields 

 would be among the gulls and terns where they nest in num- 

 bers. A nesting place visited, it is easy to tag many of the 

 }'Oung, and they are also so often shot by would-be-sports and 

 others that there would be fair chances of their being taken 

 again in other parts of their range. A few chickadees so dec- 

 orated would likely solve the question whether they migrate 

 in the winter or not. Careful traj^ping in the shrubbery about 

 the house might show whether the same birds migrate over 

 the same path year after year or not. In fact there seems to be 

 no other field that promises such important results with so lit- 

 tle hard work as this does, and it is one that almost any one 

 can do. I should like to see the corps of bird-taggers enlarged 

 this year. If any of these readers hear of any bird being taken 

 with the tags upon them I hope they will n>ake every attempt 

 to save the bird, or as much of it as possible ; a wing or a 

 head is often sufficient to identify the specimien. and forward 

 the same to me at on.ce. P. A. Taverner. 



^ Since writing above tlie writer lias received a part of wing of 

 this bird. 



SPECIAL IN\'ESTIGATI0X. 



Accompanying this number of the Bulletin are copies of 

 blanks calling for investigation upon the breeding habits of 

 any and all of our birds. More of these blanks can be had upon 

 application to Frank L. Burns, Berwyn, Pa., or Lynds Jones, 

 Oberlin, Ohio. You are urged to keep one of these blanks 

 where it will attract your attention each day, and to answer 

 one or more of the questions which it asks you. The list of 

 points has been made rather extensive not in the. expectation 



