﻿352 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  192'7 
  

  

  States 
  are 
  conducting 
  studies 
  on 
  the 
  Junco 
  {J 
  unco 
  hyetnalis) 
  and 
  

   goldfinch 
  {Astragalinus 
  tristis). 
  

  

  The 
  diseases 
  affecting 
  wild 
  birds 
  and 
  their 
  possible 
  relation 
  to 
  

   species 
  under 
  domestication 
  are 
  occasionally 
  of 
  such 
  importance 
  as 
  

   to 
  call 
  for 
  work 
  by 
  trained 
  specialists, 
  all 
  of 
  whom 
  deplore 
  the 
  lack 
  

   of 
  data 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  which 
  causes 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  valuable 
  time 
  for 
  pre- 
  

   liminary 
  work. 
  Admittedly, 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  subject 
  too 
  difficult 
  for 
  the 
  

   average 
  bird 
  bander, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  pleasure 
  to 
  record 
  that 
  among 
  the 
  

   active 
  cooperators 
  of 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey 
  there 
  are 
  several 
  phy- 
  

   sicians 
  who 
  are 
  applying 
  their 
  skill 
  and 
  general 
  knowledge 
  to 
  studies 
  

   of 
  avian 
  ailments. 
  Among 
  the 
  more 
  common 
  of 
  these 
  affections 
  is 
  

   one 
  which 
  causes 
  injuries 
  and 
  deformities 
  to 
  the 
  feet 
  and 
  legs 
  of 
  

   birds. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  detected 
  on 
  chipping 
  sparrows, 
  Juncos, 
  bronzed 
  

   grackles, 
  red-winged 
  blackbirds, 
  and 
  others. 
  Some 
  success 
  has 
  al- 
  

   ready 
  been 
  attained 
  in 
  treating 
  the 
  disease, 
  while 
  experimentation 
  is 
  

   still 
  in 
  progress. 
  

  

  The 
  study 
  of 
  avian 
  parasitology 
  is 
  abundantly 
  aided 
  through 
  the 
  

   activities 
  of 
  trapping 
  stations. 
  This 
  is 
  particularly 
  true 
  regarding 
  

   the 
  " 
  bird 
  flies 
  " 
  Hippohoscidae^ 
  insects 
  that 
  are 
  difficult 
  to 
  collect 
  as 
  

   they 
  will 
  almost 
  immediately 
  desert 
  their 
  host 
  upon 
  its 
  death. 
  At 
  

   a 
  few 
  banding 
  stations 
  special 
  equipment 
  has 
  been 
  installed 
  for 
  the 
  

   capture 
  of 
  these 
  insects 
  and 
  many 
  have 
  been 
  obtained, 
  some 
  being 
  

   taken 
  from 
  hosts 
  not 
  previously 
  recorded. 
  The 
  importance 
  of 
  such 
  

   work 
  will 
  be 
  apparent 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  remembered 
  that 
  biting 
  flies 
  are 
  

   frequently 
  responsible 
  for 
  the 
  transmission 
  of 
  disease 
  from 
  an 
  ani- 
  

   mal 
  that 
  acts 
  only 
  as 
  a 
  carrier 
  to 
  one 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  violently 
  suscepti- 
  

   ble. 
  Other 
  parasitic 
  insects 
  also 
  may 
  be 
  involved, 
  and 
  arrangements 
  

   are 
  being 
  perfected 
  whereby 
  the 
  services 
  of 
  specialists 
  will 
  be 
  made 
  

   available 
  for 
  the 
  examination 
  of 
  infected 
  birds 
  obtained 
  from 
  band- 
  

   ing 
  stations. 
  

  

  Baldwin 
  (1922), 
  Whittle 
  (1923), 
  and 
  L. 
  B. 
  Fletcher 
  (1924) 
  have 
  

   contributed 
  interesting 
  information 
  concerning 
  what 
  is 
  termed 
  '' 
  the 
  

   group 
  habit." 
  From 
  the 
  evidence 
  obtained 
  it 
  appears 
  that 
  certain 
  

   gi'oups 
  or 
  small 
  flocks 
  of 
  such 
  species 
  as 
  tree 
  sparrows, 
  juncos, 
  and 
  

   white-throated 
  sparrows 
  retain 
  their 
  identity 
  throughout 
  a 
  season 
  

   and 
  even 
  maintain 
  basically 
  the 
  same 
  organization 
  in 
  successive 
  sea- 
  

   sons. 
  As 
  Mr. 
  Whittle 
  says 
  (loc. 
  cit.), 
  "There 
  ig 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  gome 
  

   evidence 
  that 
  there 
  exists 
  something 
  like 
  orderly 
  procedure 
  in 
  such 
  

   migrating 
  bodies 
  and 
  that 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  definite 
  groups 
  having 
  per- 
  

   haps 
  family 
  or 
  neighborhood 
  relations 
  which 
  constitute 
  migratory 
  

   units." 
  This 
  theory, 
  if 
  satisfactorily 
  demonstrated 
  and 
  followed 
  to 
  

   its 
  ultimate 
  conclusion, 
  might 
  throw 
  important 
  light 
  upon 
  the 
  evolu 
  

   tion 
  of 
  geographic 
  races. 
  

  

  Longevity 
  of 
  birds 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  nature 
  and 
  the 
  mortality 
  rate 
  of 
  

   young 
  birds 
  are 
  subjects 
  that 
  frequently 
  are 
  given 
  much 
  discussion. 
  

  

  