28 
denote the sex of the species observed ; and very significant is 
such an entry as 5 under the heading of “Nightingale” or 
“ Wheatear,” recording the arrival (a few days, generally, after the 
male) of the female of the migrant species, an entry sure to he 
followed ere long by p, 2p, 3jj», pp, and finally ppp ; shewing that 
a pair” two pairs,” “three pairs” “several pairs” and the 
“ usual niimher of paired birds,” had been seen on that day — 
for while 2p and Sj) respectively denote two and three pairs, 2~>P 
signify several pairs and ppp the usual number of pairs. But the 
mention of this symbol (which, variously combined, makes so 
great a show in the “ Eegister ” for the months of April, May, 
and June) should, perhaps, have been preceded by the notice of 
another. I have already referred to our wish of determining the 
date at which the song of a species commenced. Others, I 
heheve, have kept a record of facts of this kind ; hut it seemed 
equally desirable to know how long the song lasted. For these 
two purposes whenever a bird was heard to sing a dash or short 
horizontal line — is placed above the symbol (whatever it may 
be) indicating the mere appearance of the sj>ecies. If two birds 
were heard singing, two dashes = are so placed ; if three, three 
dashes - ; if four, four • - - ; if five, five — the fifth being marked 
across the others and so on. But, as it was not always con- 
venient to number precisely the musical performers, a single dash 
with a mark across it indicates that several birds of the species 
were singing, and two dashes with a like cross mark signify 
that the act of singing had become general. 
On the same principle as the pairing of birds is shown, so also 
is their flocking together or associating in family parties — which 
last seems to he initiatory to the first ; the letter / being here 
used as the letter p was in the former case, with this addition, 
however, that when the number of birds in the flock was counted, 
it is expressed by a numeral after the letter thus ./1 5 notifies 
the observation of a “flock of fifteen;” hut 2 / means “ tivo 
floclcs,” ff “ several flocks,” and fff “ many flocks.” 
These comprehend, I believe, the whole of the symbols we used; 
and I cannot think they will he deemed too numerous, or too 
comjDlicated. Slioidd the method appear otlicrwise on first ac- 
quaintance, I believe tlie difficulty will ho speedily found to vanisli 
in practice, though I will admit that the inventor of a system of 
