( 213 ) 

 THE WOOD-PIGEON "DIPHTHERIA." 



THE RESULTS OF THE SECOND "BRITISH BIRDS " ENQUIRY.* 



BY 

 C. B. TICEHURST, m.a., b.c, m.r.c.s., m.b.o.u. 



During the winter of 1908-9 the readers of British 

 Birds were invited (see Vol. II., p. 199) to send in any 

 observations they were able to make on the presence or 

 absence of this disease in various parts of Britain ; the 

 results (such as they are) of this enquiry I now set forth. 



Only about forty schedules were received from seventeen 

 counties of England and Wales, three from Ireland, and 

 two from Scotland. 



Twenty-five observers in districts scattered over 

 seventeen counties of England and Wales, one from 

 Scotland, and one from Ireland, were unanimous in 

 their report that — 



(1) Wood-Pigeons were either jar less numerous than 



usual, particularly migratory birds, or (in a 

 few places only) up to the usual average. 



(2) The acorn and beech-mast crop was very scanty 



or non-existent, though in most places there 

 seemed to have been as usual a plentiful supply 

 of green food (turnip, clover, cabbage, etc.). 



(3) There was no sign of Wood-Pigeon " diphtheria." 

 Four observers in England and Wales, two in Ireland, 



and one in Scotland agreed that — 



(1) There were more migratory Wood-Pigeons than 



usual. 



(2) There was a plentiful supply of acorns, besides 



the usual green crops, and only in one case a 

 plentiful supply of beech-mast. 



(3) There was no sign of Wood-Pigeon " diphtheria." 



There were only eight places where the Wood-Pigeon 

 " diphtheria " was noted, and in all these the numbers 



* For the results of the first enquiry, see Vol. II., pp. 69-77. 



