v 1940 Recent Literature [17 5 RECENT LITERATURE Reviews by Margaret M. Nice BANDING AND MIGRATION 1. Results from the First Ten Years of Banding Belgian Birds in the Nest. (R•sultats du Baguage au Nid des Oiseaux de Belgique pour les Dix PremieresAnn•es (1928-1938).) R. Verheyen. 1939. Bull. du Music royal d' Histoire nat. de Belgique,15 (49): 1-36.--A valuablepiece of work. As a rule nestlingsare found to return to the region of their birth, within 5, 10, 15 or 25 kilometersaccording to species. There were 447 casesof suchreturn and only a few exceptions(notably with the Cormorant (Phalacrocoraxcarbo) ), while a Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter nisus) settled 62 kilometersfrom its birthplace and a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)130. Of 5 species132-228 birds were retaken, of 5 othersfrom 51-82, and of 6 othersfro TM 25-44. In 15 of thesethe mortality during the first two yearsranged between 76 and 92 per cent,(with the Jackdaw (Coleusmonedula) it was 44 per cent), the averageof all being82 per cent. A large number of speciesare found to be only partially migratory: Sparrow Hawk, Stock Dove (Co!umbaoenas), Skylark (Alauda arvensis),Mistle Thrush ( Turdusviscivorus), Redl•reast (Erithacus rubecula), Greenfinch (Chloris chloris), Chaffinch(Fringilla coelebs),Great Tit (Parus major), Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba,),and Starling (Sturnusvulgaris). Data are given on longevity. Mention is made of a BlackheadedGull ( Larus ridibundus)taken in Labrador in September 1933. The total numberof youngbanded in the nest is not given. It would be of great interest to have a similar study of returns and recoveriesof nestlings bandedin this country. 2. Eight Years of Banding of Western Gulls. Reed W. Ferris. 1940. Condo•r,42: 189-197.--Young Larus o. occidentalisdisperse north and south from a breedingcolony on the Oregoncoast. Of 2,674 banded,226 were retaken --8.41 per cent. Adults tend to return to the "generalregion of nativity during the breeding season." Mortality of the imnmtures is greatest in the winter. Individuals may becomeresident in the locality in which they settle in their first winter. Depredationson the Murres and Cormorantsare negligible. In otherplaces they have beendestructive; perhaps this is associatedwith the dis- turbance due to repeated visits of eggers. 3. The Black-headed Gulls of Geneva. (Les Mouettesrieusses de Gen•ve Larus r. ridibundus(L.).) P. G•roudet. 1940. Nos Oisequx,No. 149: 195-209. --The Gulls leave Geneva in March and return in July; in October they start to begfor bread,while by Novembergreat numbersvisit the city lookingfor hand- outs;during winter they are parasiticon man. On cold daysand just preceding snowstormsit is possibleto catchthem by hand for banding. Somebirds fight, othersscream and alarm their fellows,still others are quiet and return at onceto beg for more bread. Passers-bybecome much interested. It is possibleto read bandsof Gullsbanded in foreigncountries, even without catchingthe birds. In 7 years 1200 have been banded in Geneva; returns (killed and injured birds) and recoveriescome to about 4.25 per cent; no figuresare given for sight returns. There have been over a hundred casesof returns to the same winter quarters, sometimes5 yearslater, sometimes2, 3, and 4 yearsin succession.Some migrants have been recorded2 years in succession,and then killed further south. A few Gulls changewinter quarters. 4. The Migration of the Pied Flycatcher. (Ueber den Zug des Trauer- Fliegenschn/•ppers,Muscicapa hypoleuca(Pall.).) R. Drost and L. Schilling. 1940. Voffelzuff,11: 71-85.--Sixty-three birds banded as nestlingswere found breedingless than one kilometer from their birthplace, 20 were found up to 10 kilometers,4 up to 25, and one as far as 40. Sixty-four birds banded as adults were found breeding less than one kilometer from the former nesting site, 10 up to 10 kilometers,and one as far as 40 kilometers. Kratzig found young breeding RecentLiterature Bird-BandingOctober as far away from the birthplaceas 102 and 150 kilometers. As to speedof migra- tion, it averaged 71 kilometers per day. Of 114nestlings 73.6 per centdied in the firstyear, 16.7per centin the second year, 7.9 per cent in the third, 0.87 per cent in the fourth and the samein the sixth. This gave an averageage of 13 months. 5. New Results on the Homing of Goshawks. (Neue Ergebnissetiber Heimfinden beim Habicht.) W. Rtippell. 1940. Vogelzug, 11:57-64.-- Twenty-sevenGoshawks (Accipiter gentilis) were releasedat distancesin all directionsfrom their homes;one returned from 140 kilometers,two of three from 200 kilometers,and none from 600 kilometers(south and east). Twelve birds were found at an averagedistance of 58.5 kilometersfrom the place of release. Young birds ordinarilysettle within 60 kilometersof their birthplace. The hunting radius of adults is calculatedto be about 5 kilometersin nestingtime, and much larger in winter, but not over 100 kilometers. 6. Temporary Change of Breeding Place with the European Quail. (ZeitweiligeMassen-UmsiedlungenvonWachteln(Coturnixcotttrnix).)H. Grote. 1940. Vogelzug,11:85-86.--The Russian ornithologist,A. N. Formosow, reportsthat in dry yearsQuail fail to nestin their usualhaunts, the population settlingin localitieswhere rain hasbeen abundant; he believesthey return to their former nestingplaces in later years. 7. Repeated Return of Buzzard (Buteo b•teo) to the Same Winter Quarters. (Langj/ihrigeWiederkehr eines Miiusebussards (B. buteo)an densel- ben Ueberwinterungsplatz.)L. Schuster. 1940. Vogelzug,11:86.--A dis- tinctivelymarked Buzzard came to the samecicumscribed wintering place in Germany 12 years in succession. 8. The Behaviour of the Robin. Population Changes over Four Years. David Lack. 1940. Ibis, April: 299-324.--Male Erithacusrubecula melophilus werefound to be resident,but this was true of only 30 per cent of the females, someof whichprobably migrated, while' others moved locally. Of 92 banded nestlings,7 "havesince resided" in the regionof their birthplace. About20 per cent of the males fail to get mates. One male was bigamous. Studiesbased on color-bandingare reported in Numbers 11 and 13. LIFE HISTORY 9. Notes on the Habits and Distribution oF the White-tailed Eagle in N.W. Iceland 1939. E. L. Arnold and P. I. R. Maclaren. 1940. British Birds,34: 4-11.--Two nestsof HalioeOtusalbicilla were found with two young, sevenwith one young. At one nest the smalleryoung was intimidated by the attacksof the larger, and later died. Foodconsisted of birds,fish and dead lambs. In generalthe farmersare proudof their Eagles. SomeEagles die from eating poisonedbait put out for foxesor Great Black-backedGulls, while someare taken from the nest and soldto dealers. There is a bibliographyof 16 titles. 10. Further Notes on the Nesting Habits of the Virginia Rail. Henry Mousley. 1940. WilsonBulletin, 52: 87-90.--Observationson 5 nestsof Rallus limicola showed the incubation period to be 19 days. 11. The Biology of the Ringed Plover. (Beitr/igezur Biologiedes Sandre- genpfeifers(Charadrius hiaticula L.).) Hannes Laven. 1940. Journal far Ornithologie,88: 184-287.--Anotable study on breeding behavior and population problems,based on the use of coloredbands. The work, carried out on a 10kilo- meter stretch of beachon the KurischeNehrung in East Prussia,was started in 1936by Zagarus,and continuedby Lavenfor threemore years. Eachbanded bird wasgiven a "field number"from I to 158, the maleseven numbers, the femalesuneven. Youngwere given double numbers, for example27/28, then if onereturned to breed,it kept whichevernumber was appropriate to its sex.Pairs were also numberedfrom 1 to 30. Two femaleswere present4 years, 2 females Vol. XI 1940 RecentLiterature [177 and 3 males3 years,and 2 femalesand 8 males2 years. In 12 pairs, 5 times the male was larger, 5 times the femmewas larger, twice the wing length was the same. Wing length varied from year to year in the samebird. Faithfulnessto mates is the rule. This is not only "territory faithfulness", since courtshiptakes place on a separatepart of the beach. There was no case of changeof matesduring one season,and nonefrom year to year whereboth survived uninjured. But two birds that had each lost a foot were not accepted by their formermates: they matedwith eachother and raised young. A detailed studywas made of behaviorthroughout the nesting cycle, and interesting charts given. Both parentsshare incubation and care of the young;incubation lasts 24 days;the youngare fledgedin 22 days. Thoseof the first broodsoon leave, but thoseof the secondbrood may stay longerwith their parents. If a set is lost, the pair may leave, or they may go on laying sets,even as many as five. Of 68 young banded, 6 returned, 3 of them as migrants. Two bred 6 kilometersand one 1l kilometersfrom the birthplace. Of 284 eggslaid during the 4 years,102 or 36 per centhatched. Of 228 eggslaid duringthe last 3 years, 74 (32 per cent) hatchedand only 34 (15.5 per cent) were fledged. If half of theselived to breed,a pair mustnest 4 yearsin orderto replacethemselves. The average age of adults was 2.2 years. In 1937 55 per cent of the banded adults returned,in 1938 68 per cent, and in 1939 50 per cent, figuresthat comparewell with my resultson male SongSparrows and Hann's on Ovenbirds. Both sexes of the RingedPlovers returned equally faithfully to their territories. The author doesnot do justiceto his study in his summary. 12. Crow Depredation in Heron Nesting Colonies. Rollin H. Baker. 1940. Wilson Bulletin, 52:124-125.--A colony of 1,500 Little Blue Herons (Florida caerulea)and 3,000 Snowy Egrets (Egrettathula) nestingin an area of lessthan an acrein Texaswas destroyed by a colonyof 40 Crows(Cor•us brachy- rhynchos). Black-crownedand Yellow-crownedNight Herons (Nycticorax naeviusand Nyctanassaviolacea) that were lessconcentrated were lessinjured. 13. Polyandry in the Oven-Bird. Harry W. Hann. 1940. Wilson Bul• letin, 52: 69-72.--While continuinghis fine studiesof Seiurusaurocapillus, the author discoveredamong his color-bandedbirds a nest of young being fed by one femaleand two males,while a third mMe, that had lost his mate, took an active interest in the female.