192 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
derful if they come back to the very locality which they left 
the year before. And how little exact knowledge we have of 
their ability to do this!’’ In order to gain more exact know- 
ledge of bird movements ‘“‘tagging,” or marking individua\ 
birds in suggested, as this would aid not only the study of 
the general migration of species, but assist in analysing the 
factors connected with migration as a whole. 
It is interesting to note in respect of this question that 
active measures are being taken to inaugurate a system of 
bird-marking in the United States. Individual efforts in this 
direction are not unknown to ornithologists. Audubon, in 
“Birds of America,’’ relates experiments made by him with 
Pewee fly-catchers. A light silver band was attached to the 
legs of several individuals, loose enough not to hurt, but 
so fashioned that no exertion of theirs could remove it. The 
birds migrated at the proper season, but, on their return, the 
author again visited their haunts, and examined a number of 
individuals, and was ultimately rewarded by finding that two 
of them had the little ring on the leg. In England, Mr. H. 
I°, Witherby, editor of “British Birds,’’? is making similar 
experiments. The rings used for marking are extremely light, 
and do not in any way interfere with the birds’ flight; each is 
stamped ‘‘Witherby, High Holborn, London,”’ and bears a 
distinctive number, which in the smaller sizes is stamped in- 
side the ring, in the hope that anyone into whose hands 
should fall a bird so marked, would send the bird and the 
ring, or, if that be not possible, then the particulars of the 
number on the ring, the species of bird, with the locality and 
date of capture, to the address given. In addition to Lon- 
don, it has been announced that Aberdeen has also been 
made a bird-marking centre. Perhaps some of our Austra- 
lian ornithologists may be induced to establish “tagging” or 
marking centres in the Commonwealth. Birds which nest in 
large colonies, such as the gulls, terns, herons, etc., offer 
special advantages for banding and making subsequent ob- 
servations, and excellent work can be done by anyone who 
would care to take the trouble of visiting the birds at their 
breeding places. Small birds could be trapped, marked and 
released. This continued systematically through successive 
seasons and migration periods, could hardly fail to yield 
valuable results. If a bird previously banded were trapped, 
the record could be niade, and the creature released. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
BaLance SHEET.—The balance sheet which was 
submitted to the Club at its annual meeting, and 
adopted, was as follows:—Receipts—To balance from last 
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