jorKVAi. <>i' •nil-: \\]i.r> hiIvD i\\i;sTi(;.\Tic)\ society. 



35 



pasture pond at Sibbertofl, in Xortliampton- 

 sliirc, where neither of the so-called types 

 were present, I carried masses of the seeds 

 home here to sow them hv a clav [lond, in 

 similar circimislances of soil and conditions 

 of moisture. The result was, not one seed 

 was fertile here in the open, or when I tried 

 them bv cotton-wool moisture, neither was 

 one ]ilant (jrown from the thousands shed on 

 to the botanists' consecrated soil of Sibbertoft. 



Surelv this demonstrated to almost cer- 

 laint\-, what I had long' suspected, that the 

 so-called integra variety of B. tripartita is 

 nothing- but the hvbrid B. tripartita x cerniia. 

 1 tried to convince Mr. Q. C. Druce of this, 

 and now the ducks have proved it. 1 regret 

 to sav I taUe more interest in the ecologv of 

 plants, even the commonest ones, than in 

 hvbrids even the rarest. Mv minute pond 

 studies have demonstrated many facts, but 

 at least this much, that their confined areas 

 ilo produce hybrids, I beliexe, R. ilrtmctii >- 

 flnribiiiidus and R. jloribiindiis x dronetii, 

 but i am not a sufficientiv learned botanist to 

 say more tlian these forms seem to be seed- 

 less or barren in producing plants. 



]\Iore than plenty remains for other workers 

 to discoNcr in or round is(_)late(_l ponds, sav, 

 lor instance, turning to their faima, how 

 ducks carry fish and molluscs to such limited 

 areas. I lia\e a liltlr jiroof, liul oiil\- of a 

 trifling sort as yet. \\'h\- is the imixalve 

 Plaiinrl)is uaiitileiis, in my experience a pure 

 ])ond slit 11, never found in rivers anil l)ecks y 

 It is mo\ed from pond to pond, I know, bv 

 ducks, and must in the same way reach other 

 waters, but here at least does not sui-\ivo in 

 them. 



The subject of |)ond-sludv is limited, and 

 yet, after forly-ii\e years, it a]ipears to me 

 that I have only touched the fringe of it vh 

 yet. I shall be most happy to help anyone 

 who cares to make a study of isolateti ponds, 

 if I am able to do so. 



THE JOURNAL OF THE 



WILD BIRD INVESTIGATION 

 SOCIETY. 



The Journal is supplied jvee to all Ordinary and Associate 

 Meiubtts. I\'nn~memt>ers of the Society viay obtain it from the 

 publishers {posi free) on forwarding subscription of JUs. fid. 



All matter intended for public ati<.n should be written on one 

 side of the paper only. Typed MS. is desitabiC. Unrelated 

 subjects shoUid be dealt ivith on different sheets. No notice will 

 be taken of anonymous communications. No matter can be 

 returned unless a stamped and directed envelope is enclosed. 



All comviunicalions should be addressed to Dr. W. E. Colliufie, 

 St. Andrews, Scotland. 



I^s^ I «» , jj p 1 M-- ' ' ^fcj| ^jy. ' ^yi i w I ' j i I ' j^ I < ^ I ' 



EDITORIAL. 



In presenting the second issue of our Journal, 

 we take the opportunity of thanking the members 

 and the Press for the support received at their 

 hands. For the unanimous expression of 

 approval from the former, and the manv natter- 

 ing notices given us by the latter, we arc much 

 indebted. 



'Ihrouiihout the country it lias been recognized 

 that there lies before the Wild Bird Investigation 

 .Society an enormous field for useful and valuable 

 work, and it behoves all of our members to each 

 take his or her share in such. The gratifying 

 success that has attended the St. Andrews Local 

 Branch shows what can be done, and we wish to 

 see other branches as flourishine: and active. 



The Report of the Departmental Committee on 

 the Protection of Wild Birds has called forth a 

 considerable amount of criticism, and though on 

 the whole this is in general agreement with t!-e 

 Committee as regards the majority of their 

 suggestions, there are a number of points that 

 require further consideration. Some are loud in 

 their complaints against the bird-catchers, and we 

 must confess that the Committee seem to have 

 looked with far too lenient an eye upon these 

 people. As Mr. H. S. Davenport points out in 

 I'hc Times (1919, Aug. 29th), it is recommended 

 " that all killing or taking of birds in any public 

 place, highway, byway, common, or waste land, 

 should be proliihited throughout the year"; vet 

 a little later in the Report the ConmTittcc 



