300 BRITISH BIRDS. 



male. The nest was one of several on the wall of the old 

 Museum-shed at Rossitten. In 1907 these nests were swept 

 away by storm and rain and the colony abandoned. On July 

 19th, 1909, Dr. Thienemann visited, for marking purposes, a 

 colony which had established itself on a stable about 100 

 metres distant from the sight of the first. The first bird he 

 caught Mas this No. 711. Apart from the direct significance 

 of the record, this case is also interesting, because to Dr. 

 Thienemann's knowledge this is the first instance of such a 

 small bird carrying a ring for so long a period as three years. 

 The bird was in no way injured and was in the best of 

 condition, and was going about its nesting duties in the 

 normal way at the time of its re-capture. This case is cited 

 in favour of the foot-rings as against indelible stamps on the 

 feathers of the wing, flat aluminium plates attached to the 

 tail- quills, and other such methods that have been put 

 forward as being less hard on the birds. Such marks are of 

 course lost at the first moult that occurs after marking, and 

 the percentage of returns would be reduced to an extent that 

 would not afford sufficient results to compensate for the 

 labour and expense of marking, and certain sorts of returns 

 would never occur at all. That an aluminium ring is not 

 sufficiently durable to give reliable records bearing on the 

 natural length of life of large birds especially, Dr. Thienemann 

 here admits, but for migration purposes it seems to meet all 

 requirements. The longest time that a ring has been borne 

 by a Rossitten bird is five years seven months eight days 

 (Hooded Crow), and in this case the ring was very much 

 worn. In the case of Herring-Gulls, etc., the rings appear to 

 wear more quickly, probably owing to constant friction with 

 wet sand and so on. Dr. Thienemann remarks that a ring 

 fitting closely to the leg of a bird is less liable to friction and 

 therefore more durable than one which is free to slide up and 

 down (cf. Ornith. Monatsberichte, Oct., 1909, pp. 150-2). 



A. Landsborough Thomson. 



BREEDING-HABITS OF THE SISKIN IN IRELAND. 

 Having had a very extensive acquaintance with the breeding- 

 habits of the Siskin {Chrysomitris spinus) in co. Wicklow for 

 ten years, commencing with 1886, as well as in other parts of 

 Ireland, the notes of Mr. Hamilton Hunter on this subject 

 (antea, pp. 188, 189) interested me very greatly. I have, 

 however, little doubt that a wider experience will prove that 

 the Siskin often nests much earlier than he supposes, as I have 

 found very many nests in April, and have proved beyond 



