230



Review



The author, by means of elaborate ringing and by the convenient

individuality of the cock Song Sparrow’s song, has been able to keep

track of individual birds for a number of years to an almost incredible

extent, such as makes her results unique : and this although the

boy Ohioan harries her Sparrows along with the “English” for sake of

State bounty, whilst the unemployed are set to remove her beloved

thickets and deposit town refuse in their place. It makes one gasp.


In warning please note the express statement—Song sparrows

not only abound, or did; they do not readily desert their nests and show

great attachment to their homes. They must need it all, though

obviously M. M. Nice has a way with birds. The havoc promiscuous

adoption of her methods might spread ! (Consisting of goodness knows

how many varicoloured anklets on each leg, with trappings for

weighings and wing measurements—moreover the strain for years

on the human, let alone the bird ! And at that, some nests have evaded

the authoress.) Nests badly hidden were found more liable to destruction

by “ predators ” ; and the removal of natural cover is reducing this

particular population (Interpont. Ohio —Melospize melodia beata)

from year to year ; and with thinning, comes intenser parasitism by

the Cowbird (Molotkrus ater ater) who also has a homing instinct and

a chapter to himself.


Male Song Sparrows have very strong territorial instinct. Half

of them keep to their territories all winter, one at least eight winters,

though they only fight about it on fine days—they take in visitors,

winter only, free—and not at all while in moult. The other half go

south with four-fifths of the females. This makes remating of birds in

successive seasons rare, as late returning hens turn up much too late—

only eight cases, less than 4 per cent.


Migration or residence has nothing to do with age or inheritance—

behold genealogies. A brother and sister from the same nest resided

a winter and mated in spring, only one other instance being given

among wild birds, a case of Downy Woodpeckers.


One male migrated two winters, remained the third. Three males

and one female resided one winter, migrated next, and returned in

spring. Two males resided two winters, migrated third, and returned

in spring. No differences were found between migrants and residents.

Bad seasons, and motors, levy toll on migrants.



