ORNITHOLOGICAL SECTION, 45 
ORNITHOLOGICAL SECTION. 
President: M. TANNER, Esq. 
HIS year we decided not to keep a list of records in 
birds’ eggs, but to award the sectional prize for the 
best note-book on the habits of birds. This prize 
was awarded to ‘T. I. G. Thomas, and his note-book, 
from which some extracts are given at the end of the 
a se Report, shows considerable powers of observation 
for one sO young. The prize chosen was one of Fowler’s books, 
“A Year with the Birds.” While speaking of note-books we will 
repeat what we have said before. It is not necessary to wait until 
the Spring to begin, for notes may be made all the year round. 
Viirds are interesting at other times than the breeding season. 
Notes should be taken on those birds that remain during the 
Winter with us. What do they feed on? Where do they roost? 
Is their plumage the same in Winter as in Summer? Which go 
in flocks and which not? Careful notes should be taken in early 
Spring on the arrivals of migratory species and of the nesting 
places, nests, eggs and localities, with dates of all birds, and then 
the dates as nearly as possible of the migrants. The notes cannot 
be too profuse. A very large amount of pleasure is to be derived 
from the study of birds in this way without ever taking an egg. 
luring the Summer Mr. Menneer kindly took out individual 
‘icmbers of the Section to study birds in the neighbourhood and 
Le has consented to be President of the Section in the future. 
The following are some extracts from notes taken by Mr. 
Wiute, during the season. 
Towards the end of the season I saw a fine Large-Spotted 
Woodpecker in my garden: this bird is rarely seen in Gloucester- 
