BIRD-BANDING IN AMERICA 



147 



spend the winter each year since 1909; and when shot was within about 

 thirty-five miles of the spot where it was hatched. 



A farmer by the name of August Schilling of Evansville, Illinois, was 

 walking across his fields on April 1, 1912, when he frightened a butcher bird 

 from a fencepost where it had been feeding on what proved to be a bluebird. 

 On picking up the victim and scrutinizing it, Mr. Schilling was astonished 

 to discover that the bird wore a ring on its right leg, and that the ring bore 

 an inscription. He wrote a letter giving the number of the band and asked 

 for information saying, "Please let me know when the band was put on. 

 There are lots of people who would like to know." 



This particular bluebird was one of a brood banded by Dr. R. M. Strong 

 of the University of Chicago at West All is, Wisconsin on July 5, 1909. The 

 band had been carried for two years and nine months and had apparently 

 caused no inconvenience. It is probable that this bluebird had made two 

 complete migrations to the south and was about to complete the last lap of 

 a third when he was so unfortunate as to cross the path of Lanius borcalis. 



Beyond a doubt the year just past [1912] has seen the greatest progress 

 in the work of banding birds in America. All told during the twelve 

 months, eight hundred bands have been placed on birds and some of them 

 have already yielded return records possessing a high degree of interest. 

 The total number of species banded during the past summer is seventy- 

 three, a few of the more unusual being black guillemot, great black-backed 

 gull, least tern, glossy ibis, American egret, barn owl, short-eared owl, 

 chestnut-collared longspur and dickcissel. It is only by extensive banding 

 through a long period of time that results of value will be obtained. It 

 cannot be wise to spring at conclusions with regard to the significance of 

 return records. The fact that Mr. Baynes's chimney swift returned to its 

 old stand after an absence of nearly a year in the tropics is insignificant as 

 proof in itself. Before stating that chimney swifts invariably return year 

 after year to the same chimney, it would be advisable, not to say necessary, 

 to obtain manv similar records as corroborative evidence. 



Young piping plovers three days old banded on Martha's Vineyard, July 3, 1912. One 

 was shot August 2 not far from the home site. As Massachusetts laws protect piping 

 plovers at all seasons, this return record started an investigation of value 



