﻿BIRD 
  BANDING 
  IN 
  AMERICA 
  

  

  By 
  Frederick 
  C. 
  Lincoln 
  

  

  Associate 
  Biologist, 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Biological 
  Survey, 
  United^ 
  States 
  Department 
  of 
  

  

  Agriculture 
  

  

  [With 
  9 
  plates] 
  

   INTRODUCTION 
  

  

  The 
  progress 
  of 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  birds 
  necessarily 
  involves 
  a 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  examination 
  of 
  concentrations 
  of 
  material 
  and 
  data 
  brought 
  

   together 
  through 
  the 
  application 
  of 
  various 
  methods, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  

   furnishes 
  definite 
  contributions 
  to 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  ornithology. 
  Viewed 
  

   in 
  perspective, 
  the 
  splendid 
  achievements 
  of 
  ornithologists 
  during 
  the 
  

   past 
  75 
  years 
  can 
  not 
  fail 
  to 
  impre,ss 
  the 
  most 
  critical 
  reviewer 
  with 
  

   their 
  magnitude 
  and 
  scope. 
  This 
  period 
  witnessed 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  the 
  modern 
  standard 
  works 
  based 
  upon 
  original 
  researches, 
  which 
  

   when 
  passed 
  in 
  review 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  as 
  diversified 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  

   numerous. 
  Explorations, 
  critical 
  reviews, 
  monograph^, 
  and 
  studies 
  

   on 
  migration 
  and 
  other 
  phases 
  of 
  the 
  life 
  histories 
  of 
  birds 
  have 
  all 
  

   received 
  attention. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  with 
  the 
  two 
  last 
  subjects 
  that 
  the 
  present 
  paper 
  is 
  chiefly 
  

   concerned 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  and 
  pertinent 
  facts 
  that 
  are 
  being 
  

   brought 
  to 
  light 
  through 
  an 
  intensive 
  application 
  of 
  the 
  banding 
  

   method. 
  

  

  The 
  mysterious 
  seasonal 
  movements 
  or 
  migrations 
  of 
  birds 
  have 
  

   attracted 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  students 
  for 
  hundreds 
  of 
  years, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  

   only 
  within 
  comparatively 
  recent 
  times 
  that 
  adequate 
  attention 
  has 
  

   been 
  paid 
  to 
  the 
  equally 
  fascinating 
  theme 
  of 
  their 
  other 
  life 
  habits. 
  

   With 
  reference 
  to 
  migration. 
  Dr. 
  Glover 
  M. 
  Allen 
  wrote 
  in 
  1925 
  that 
  : 
  

  

  Mankind 
  delights 
  in 
  a 
  mystery 
  of 
  whatever 
  sort, 
  that 
  thrill 
  of 
  something 
  

   unknown 
  to 
  be 
  discovered. 
  For 
  long 
  years 
  the 
  migration 
  of 
  birds 
  has 
  stood 
  

   as 
  a 
  delightful 
  and 
  mysterious 
  riddle 
  of 
  Nature, 
  but 
  now 
  bids 
  fair 
  to 
  clear 
  

   away 
  and 
  unfold 
  more 
  wonderful 
  things 
  than 
  we 
  dreamed 
  of. 
  

  

  The 
  monumental 
  biographical 
  works 
  by 
  Maj. 
  Charles 
  E. 
  Bendire 
  

   and 
  Arthur 
  C. 
  Bent 
  and 
  the 
  migration 
  bulletins 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Wells 
  W. 
  

   Cooke 
  stand 
  not 
  alone 
  as 
  standards 
  but 
  they 
  will 
  also 
  form 
  the 
  stimu- 
  

   lus 
  for 
  further 
  and 
  more 
  exhaustive 
  investigations. 
  In 
  examining 
  

  

  331 
  

  

  