THE OOLOQI8T 



97 



the way. The Bob White also de- 

 lights in calling during and after rain 

 so one is left to imagine what is meant 

 when one is heard calling. 



Doubtless many other names are 

 used in this part of the country but 

 the ones given above are all that the 

 writer knows of. 



Fred J. Pierce, 

 Wintrop, la. 



Bird Banding Work Being Taken Over 

 By the Biological Survey 



The Bureau of Biological Survey 

 at Washington, D. C, has taken 

 over the work formerly carried 

 on under the auspices of the 

 Linnaean Society of New York by the 

 American Bird Banding Associacioa. 

 In taking over this work the Bureau 

 feels that it should express the debt 

 that students of ornithology in this 

 country owe to Mr. Howard H. Cleaves 

 for the devotion and success with 

 which he has conducted this investi- 

 gation up to a point where it has out- 

 grown the possibilities of his personal 

 supervision. 



Under plans now being formulated 

 this work will give a great amount of 

 invaluable information concerning the 

 migration and distribution of North 

 American birds which will be of dir- 

 ect service in the administration of 

 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, as 

 well as of much general scientific in- 

 terest. 



It is desired to develop this work 

 along two principal lines: first, the 

 trapping and banding of waterfowl, es- 

 pecially ducks and geese, on both 

 their breeding and winter grounds; 

 and secondly, the systematic trapping 

 of land birds as initiated by Mr. S. 

 Prentiss Baldwin, the early results of 

 which have been published by him 

 in the proceedings of the Linnaean 

 Society of New York, No. 31, 1919, pp. 

 23-55. It is planned to enlist the in- 



terest and services of volunteer work- 

 ers, who will undertake to operate 

 and maintain trapping stations 

 throughout the year, banding new birds 

 and recording the data from those 

 previously banded. The results from 

 a series of stations thus operated will 

 undoubtedly give new insight into mi- 

 gration routes; speed of travel during 

 migration; longevity of species; affin- 

 ity for the same nesting site year 

 after year; and, in addition, furnish 

 a wealth of information relative to 

 the behavior of the individual, here- 

 tofore impossible because of the diffi- 

 culty of keeping one particular bird 

 under observation. 



The details of operation are now re- 

 ceiving close attention, and as soon 

 as possible the issue of bands will be 

 announced, with full information re- 

 garding the methods to be followed 

 and the resuts expected. In the mean- 

 time, the Biological Survey will be 

 glad to receive communications from 

 those sufficiently interested and satis- 

 factorily located to engage in this 

 work during their leisure time, for it 

 is obvious that a considerable part 

 must be done by volunteer operators. 

 It is hoped that a sufficient number 

 will take this up to insure the com- 

 plete success of the project. 



E. W. Nelson, 

 Chief of Bureau. 



A Letter 



I have noted your call for copy, sev- 

 eral times, for publication on the 

 Oologist, and thought of sending 

 something; and now, just at this 

 time, when the new order of things 

 is so changed, and permits to collect 

 eggs must not only be secured from 

 the state but from the Federal Gov- 

 ernment as well, it would seem not 

 out of place to give a little encourage- 

 ment to those who may seem inclined 

 to falter in our ranks. 



