156 Cole, The Tagging of Wild Birds. [^^f^ 



reached full size or in which the bones were still so soft that the band 

 could be forced gently over. These bands have some advantages, 

 but also a number of serious objections. The first of these is that 

 anyone proposing to do banding must have on hand a variety of 

 bands of several different sizes; and unless one knows before hand 

 just what species of birds are going to be banded, it is apt to be just 

 the size of band needed that one will be out of. This is obviated 

 by the use of the "open" bands, two sizes of which have been found 

 practicable to use on birds ranging in size from warblers to ducks 

 and the larger owls. The second objection to the closed band is 

 that of expense. In the first place they are cut from aluminum 

 tubing, which is more expensive that sheet aluminum ; but what is of 

 far greater importance, the open bands can be stamped with the 

 address and serial number while they are flat, before being rolled, 

 while the marking of the 'closed' bands is a difficult and tedious 

 (and hence expensive) process. 



The styles of bands finally decided upon were made from sheet 

 aluminum of the required thickness and cut to the desired size. 

 The smaller band (designated No. 2) was from sheet aluminum 

 0.5 mm. thick, and are approximately 4 mm. wide and 26 mm. in 

 length. The larger bands (No. 4) are 6 mm. wide, 44 mm. long, 

 and 0.7 mm. in thickness. The "return address" is impressed 

 on the flat band with a steel stamp, made in one piece, so that the 

 whole address is put on with a single impression. Through the 

 kindness of the editors of 'The Auk' we have been allowed to use 

 the name of this journal for the "return address," the inscription 

 reading 



NOTIFY 



THE AUK 



NEW YORK 



as here shown. Although arranged, as indicated in three lines, 

 the letters are less than 1 mm. (^^ ii^ch) in height, so that the whole 

 goes easily on the width of even the small band, and uses up only 

 7 mm. of its length. The number is now added beside this inscrip- 

 tion, the whole occupying about 15 or 16 mm. of the length of the 

 band. If the blank end of one of the No. 2 bands be cut off close 

 to the number, the portion bearing the inscription and number 

 may now be rolled into a small circular ring with an internal 



