THE MIGRATION OF WOODCOCK. 



161 



The experiment was commenced in tiie year 1910, and has 

 been continued every year since then. The number of marked 

 birds that have been recovered varies considerably in different 

 years, this being mainly due to thei-e being practically no shooting 

 during certain seasons. 



For the fiivst three years the birds were mai-ked by having a 

 single ring placed on one leg ; this ring was made of aluminium 

 and stamped with the lettering " A.C. 10" in the year 1910, 

 while in 1911 and 1912 the lettering was " W.A. Sligo, 1911," 

 and " W.A. Sligo, 12 " respectively. 



After the year 1912 two rings were used, one ring being placed 

 on each leg. The reason for this was that it was ascertained 

 that the postal authoi-ities would not deliver letters which were 

 addressed with initials only, a fact that may account for the 

 scarcity of information from outside sources received in the 

 earlier years of the experiment. 



The lettering on these rings was "W. Ashley" on the one ring, 

 and on the other '• Sligo 13 "-14 "-15 "-16," according as the year 

 was 1913, 1914, 1915, or 1916. 



The following table gives the number of birds marked and the 

 lettering on the rings for each year : — 



Table I. 



This gives a total of 331 birds marked in seven years. All 

 these birds Avith the exception of seven were hatched in the large 

 pine-wood described above. The seven exceptions, consisting of 

 Wo in 1910, two in 1911, and three in 1912, were young birds 

 taken from nests in some of the outlying coverts. 



The total number of marked birds that have been recovered 

 is 55, that is 16'6 per cent. 



The following table gives (i.) the number of birds recovered 

 year by year ; (ii.) the locality in which they were found ; 

 (iii.) the date the bird was marked ; (iv.) the date the bird was 

 recovered ; (v.) the method of recovery. 



In respect to the various names of places on the estate, 

 Classiebawn includes the large pine wood and its immediate 



