42 The Oologisis' Record, June L 1923. 



such States are the exception. In a country so vast, with its bird- 

 life not yet by any means thoroughly ascertained, it is not sur- 

 prising that the Federal Government maintains a most competent 

 staff of biological workers, whose aim is not only to explore its 

 bird-life to the uttermost, but to ascertain its bearing upon the 

 agricultural and other resources of the country. Mr. E. W. Nelson, 

 the head of the section dealing with bird-life, issues each year a 

 most valuable and interesting report on his work. Many individual 

 States ha\'e their own staffs working on similar lines, and a most 

 interesting survey was recently received in regard to the oird- 

 and animal-life of Louisiana. It must have been compiled and 

 published at a cost which would make our Parliamentary economists 

 turn grey. 



The London "Daily Chronicle" reports under date June 8th, 

 1923, that : 



" In a Falcon's nest on one of the lower ledges of rock beneath 

 " the lighthouse on Great Ormes Head, Llandudno, over 1000 

 •' Pigeons' feet have been discovered, most of them bearing a 

 ■• numbered ring. 



" This explains a mystery which has puzzled for some time the 

 " owners of homing Pigeons in the industrial centres in the northern 

 " counties — the non-arrival of many birds after being liberated at 

 " various places in France and the South of England. 



" A local boatman, who saw a Falcon attack a ' homer ' and carry 

 " it away to the rocks, found his way to the nest of the bird of prey, 

 " and the wholesale slaughter was revealed. 



" All the remains of the Pigeons were collected, and the numbers 

 •' on the rings will be communicated through the ' Homing World.' " 



Rather striking evidence this of the havoc that a pair of 

 Peregrines are capable of. 



Mr. C. L. D. Bickerton wrote us recently that he had been 

 transferred to Kinkiang, at the extreme south of Anhwei Province 

 and just on the borders of Kiangsi Province. He says the country' 

 there is wonderfully rich in bird-life, and only the presence of an 

 innumerable number of snakes retards his Oological investigations. 

 Although he thinks that 90 per cent, of the snakes are quite harmless 

 he has some respect for the remaining 10 per cent. ! He finds his 

 motor-boat useless for much of the time, and has to make use of a 



