The Possibilities of Bird-Marking. 211 



We may also mention the records of Storks found in Germany in sub- 

 sequent summers, summarising the records as follows: — 



Distance from birthplace. Season. 



3 English miles (approx.) Next summer. 



q 



I! J) » I) 



60 



17 „ „ Second summer after. 



437 



9 „ „ Third 



19 

 A return to the same summer-quarters is thus obviously the rule, but we 

 must note the existence of the exception : the Stork born and marked near 

 Brunswick in 1906, and reported on 30th June 1908 from Sorquitten in 

 East Prussia. As already stated, the localities are about 437 miles apart : 

 they are nearly in the same latitude, and obviously on quite different lines 

 of flight. There are also a few Hungarian records of Storks returning to the 

 same localities. 



This record, and those other exceptions, the records from the Lake Chad 

 region and German South-West Africa, indicate the necessity for further 

 study of a case which might otherwise be considered as nearly complete. 

 And this is still more evident with the final record which I shall quote 

 concerning this species. Last season (1910) Storks were marked in large 

 numbers in Holland and western Germany, and in the autumn the first 

 record came to hand : a Stork marked at Cassel had been obtained in the 

 Barcelona district of Spain ! (Thienemann). This opens up a fresh line of 

 inquiry altogether from that which has been so well carried out regarding 

 the south-easterly flighting Storks of Denmark and north-eastern Germany. 

 When both have been successfully concluded, we shall be in possession of a 

 collection of facts which, I venture to say, will be a contribution of exceeding 

 value to the study of the migration of birds. 



Almost as interesting is the case of the Hooded Crows {Gorvus comix) 

 which migrate through the Rossitten district. There they are caught, ringed, 

 and released. And as many as 12 per cent, have been subsequently heard of 

 from localities lying within a broad belt of country extending from 

 southern Finland and the St Petersburg district of Eussia, southwards 

 through Livonia and Courland to Eossitten, and then westwards, still for some 

 distance bounded on one side by the Baltic, through northern Germany, and 

 terminating in the north-eastern corner of France (Solesmes) (Thienemann, 

 Journal fiir Omithologie, 1909, pp. 432-448, and plate vii.). 



A similar but not quite so perfect case is that of the Teal (Nettion crecca) 



