Page:The Migration of Birds - Thomas A Coward - 1912.pdf/87

Rh southern birds first passing the northern, and the northern passing them in turn" (20).

The custom, new fortunately becoming wide— spread, of marking birds by affixing a numbered metal ring to one leg, may help to elucidate this and many other problems, but until a large number of results are collected it is unwise to draw conclusions. Almost every month the recovery of some of these marked birds is noted in the scientific journals, but so far, beyond indicating the minimum distance travelled by individuals, little can be proved. It is, however, plain that birds do not invariably act as they ought to do if they obeyed all the laws which have been invented for them. A few records or results may be quoted, but any suggestions from these must be treated as suggestions only; many more must be forthcoming before we can say, proved.

The white stork, Ciconia alba, has been systematically ringed in Rossitten in East Prussia, in Denmark and in Hungary for some years, and Mr A. L. Thomson gives a brief summary of the interesting results up to date, in "British Birds" for May, 1911. Ten young birds, taken during their first autumn journey, show a general south-easterly trend through Europe. Three east Prussian Storks were obtained in Syria, one in the April after it was marked, the other two in April and July of the second year; another was