VOL. XV j LETTERS. 299 



There are onl}' three other records of velocities amongst his observa- 

 tions which exceed that of No. 5 Pigeon, namely one of Swifts (well 

 over 68 m.p.h.), one of Golden Plover, which were eluding pursuit 

 (60 m.p.h.), and one of Duck (59 m.p.h.). 



It is, I think, remarkable that a tame Pigeon should be able 

 to maintain for 600 miles a velocity which, according to Col. 

 Meinertzhagen's observations, is so very rarely attained by wild birds, 

 including such apparently rapidly flying species as Ducks, Waders, 

 and Hawks. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that in Pigeon 

 racing the distance measured is a straight line from the race point 

 to the loft, and as it is. to say the least of it, very improbable that a bird 

 can or does maintain an absolutely straight course home, the actual 

 velocity a Pigeon makes is probably always considerably in excess 

 of that with which it is credited. B. B. Rivierk. 



OBSERVATIONS ON SONG-PERIODS. 

 To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, Perhaps some of your readers (from different parts of the 



country) who are interested in that branch of animal behaviour 

 represented by birds' song would be good enough to take the following 

 simple notes this J.une or July about Chaffinches, Blackbirds and 

 Song-Thrushes, or any one of them, and send them to me. The object 

 being to explore any relation between England and Ireland, or between 

 latitudes in the same in respect to the termination of the spring song 

 period. (This appears to be also an indication of the relative number 

 of broods). 



1. Week when there appears to be very little song left. 



2. Date of last song noticed. 



With me for example (i) will probably be Chaffinch, second or third 

 week in June. Song-Thrush, second or third week in June. Blackbird, 

 first week in June! J- P- Burkitt. 



Enniskillen, Ireland. 



STATUS OF THE SURF-SCOTER IN ORKNEY. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, In the Practical Handbook of British Birds the Surf-Scoter 



{Oidem'ia perspicillata) is given as a " Rare migrant. Most frequent 

 Orkneys, where occasional examples, usually young, not infrequently 

 seen and six recorded obtained." During the winters which I spent m 

 Orkney, hardly an autumn passed without this bird being seen, one or 

 more of the flocks of Velvet-Scoters having sometimes an adult male Surf 

 among them. Wild as the Velvet species is, it was much more so with 

 an adult male Surf in attendance. I can hardly agree with the state- 

 ment that those seen are usually young birds, for if such were present 

 they would not be detected, nor would females. What becomes of these 

 adult male Surf-Scoters which come south with the flocks of Velvets 

 I cannot say, for thev usually disappear when autumn becomes winter, 

 and are not shot, at" any rate locally. During one very stormy spell, 

 when the harbour was full of storm-bound steam trawlers, there was 

 actually one of these adult males in Stromness harbour for nearly a 

 fortnight, which survived, although fired at continually by rifles and 

 guns of ail descriptions during it? stay. A pure white Shag, also storm- 

 bound at the same time, met with the same reception, but lived through 

 j^ H. W. Robinson. 



