CHAPTER XIV. 



Banding Birds and Keeping Records 



Two kinds of bands, aluminum and German silver, 

 are in use. They may be either closed or open. Closed 

 bands are made of seamless tubing sawed in suitable 

 widths, while open ones are of thin strips of metal 

 about I 3-8 inches long by 3-16 inch wide. The nec- 

 essary letters and figures are put on with steel stamps. 

 Closed bands must be placed on the leg of squabs while 

 still in the nest and quite often before they are a week 

 old. They are most easily applied by drawing three 

 toes forward and the hind one backward, and slipping 

 the band on them while in that position, as shown 

 in Fig. 36. It is impossible to use closed bands after 

 squabs are more than a week old, at which time the 

 feet are too large for the bands to slip over. The open 

 bands can be placed at any time, as they are simply 

 rolled around the leg with the free end bent closely 

 in. They will move easily upon the leg. The method 

 of holding an old bird for banding is shown in Fig. 

 37. Each band bears the initial of the owner's last 

 name, figures to represent the number of the bird 

 and the letter "c," for cock or "h," for hen. The seam- 

 less band cannot be lost or removed when once placed, 

 while the open band is sometimes lost and may be re- 

 moved. These bands can be purchased of dealers, or 

 if one desires he can make them himself from seamless 

 tubing for closed bands. The tools necessary are a 

 hack saw, steel stamps and a piece of round rolled 

 iron, a trifle less in diameter than the diameter of 

 the tubing. The iron rod is inserted in the tubing, 



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