Ringers and Writers All students of birds owe a very
great debt to Mr. Witherby who, I understand, is giving over to the Ornithological Trust the management of the organisation for ringing birds. He was one of its authors and begetters, and the scheme, now altogether international, is on a very large scale. The recording of the birds ringed and of the recoveries in connexion with the great cage at Skokholm is by itself a big clerical business. Another debt to Mr. Witherby is the making and publishing of the Handbook of British Birds, which had become the standard work ; but so much has been discovered since its publication that a new edition—to appear in parts—has been and is being compiled, and the co-operation of the public is desired. The immediate plea is for any specialistic information on the family of passeres, and information should go to W. H. Witherby, Gracious Pond Farm, Chobham, Surrey. The point about the master bird in the family, the house, sparrow, which interests me, is the extent of its local migration at harvest time from town to country. I believe that this is especially well marked in the Midlands, and that the Birmingham sparrows have a peculiar delight in moving off to the wheat fields of Warwickshire when the August holidays begin. Could the boy scouts, who at one time made fame by taking a very skilful census of London starlings, take a hand in testing the extent of this seasonal migration ? The losses to farmers are large and perhaps grow larger.
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