News and comment Peter Conder and Mike Everett

William T. Keeton We are very sad to hear specially-built pens, the skilled team had of the recent death of Professor W. T. released the last one back onto the water. By Keeton. This is a tragic loss to the science of then, the majority had been ringed, or had : his masterful summary of their existing ring numbers read; blood current knowlege of bird navigation and samples had been taken from 200 as part of a orientation (Brit. Birds 72: 451-470) was but programme of monitoring for the presence of one example of his great contribution, based lead; and a good sample of measurements on his internationally recognised long-term and weights had been obtained. Record- studies at Cornell University, New York. In breaking was not on the agenda—but this over 20 years at the University, he gained seems to have been die largest-ever Mute pre-eminence as a teacher as well as a Swan catch and was certainly the heaviest- researcher and was clearly admired and ever British bird catch: the weighed samples regarded with great affection by colleagues indicated a total weight of 7.5 tonnes. (Con­ and pupils alike: to all of them and to his wife tributed by MAO) and family we extend our deepest sympa­ thies. New recorder for die area Pete Clement, 9 Headley, King Charles Road, Commons bird While habitat destruction Surbiton, , has now taken over from continues apace, as often as not 'in the public K. C. Osborne as recorder for the London interest*, it is nice to know that somebody, somewhere, cares . . . The House of Commons Wader studies One of the useful publica­ Notices of Questions and Motions for 22nd July tions which regularly appears through the 1980 included the following over the names of editorial letterbox is the Wader Study Group six MPs: 'That this House congratulates the Bulletin, of which no. 29 (August 1980) has Dartford Warbler on its ability to survive just arrived. Crammed with news and tips, as despite the efforts of the Forestry Commis­ well as papers on original work (mostly sion to the contrary.' relating to ringing or in-the-hand studies) this duplicated bulletin is sent three times a Film-star birds A good misprint we year to members of the Wader Study Group. noticed recently was 'Lana Falcon'-—almost The current subscription is £5 or $12.50 and as nice, we thought, as Phalacrocorax garbo. membership forms are available from Graham F. Appleton, 18 Old Barn Road, Swan round-up In the early morning of Bourneville, Birmingham B31 IPY, or Dr 8th August 1980, a team of 50 people Edward H. Miller, Dept of Biology, York assembled at Abbotsbury, Dorset, led by University, Faculty of Science, 4700 Keele Chris Perrins of the EGI and Malcolm Street, Downsview, Ontario, Canada Ogilvie of the Wildfowl Trust. With the M3J IP3. (Contributed byJTRS) permission of the owners, they rounded up the flock of flightless, moulting Mute Swans ICBP move BB readers should note that Cygnus olor. This latest effort in the long-term the International Council for Bird Preserva­ study of these colonially nesting swans led to tion has moved its HQ to 219c Huntingdon a catch of 830. Within three hours, using Road, CB3 ODL, where it shares

Continued.

542 News and comment 543

accommodation with the Species Conserva• 'Aves' goes American It has been tion Monitoring Unit of the International announced that, from vol. 115 onwards (vol. Union for the Conservation of Nature 114 is due to appear in 1981), The Zoological (IUCN). The new Director is Dr Christoph Record is to be produced by 'Biosis' (Bio- Imboden. sciences Information Service, 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pa, USA). It seems a Congratulations ... to Geoff Pyman on pity to us that the Zoological Society of being created an OBE in the Queen's London should have lost the world's leading Birthday Honours. He needs no introduction zoological bibliography after so many years to Essex birders; he also did a valuable stint of producing such an immensely useful and as secretary of the Rarities Committee some high-quality compilation. Let us hope that years ago. (By the way, we have assumed the Aves' section continues to be of a high that 's recent mention of standard and that we shall not see too much 'St Peter Scott' was a misprint. . .) of an American bias in its listings . . .

274. BIRD ILLUSTRATOR OF THE YEAR Presentation by Robert Gillmor (left) of inscribed salver, and cheque to Norman Arlott (Don Smith)

Gillmor stamps The Summer Isles postal Artists at Press Reception The exhibition service provides the only postal link between of entries for the 1980 Bird Illustrator of the the islands and the Scottish mainland, Year and The Richard Richardson Award charging postage for the daily two-mile was held at the Little Essex Street offices of crossing, plus conventional postage for on• Macmillan Journals Ltd on 28th August. ward transmission. To celebrate the tenth The prizes were presented by Robert Gillmor anniversary of the Summer Isles Post Office, (see plate 274). There is an important its Philatelic Bureau (Wester Ross iv26 2YG) announcement concerning the 1981 competi• has produced a superb definitive set of tions on page 541. stamps with probably the best bird pictures on stamps that we have ever seen, by Robert Gillmor: Arctic Tern 3p, Red-breasted Mer• gansers 5p, Gannets lOp, Barnacle Geese Ennion exhibition Watercolour drawings 15p, Heron 20p and Golden Eagle 50p. Mint by Dr Eric Ennion will be on exhibition at sets are available for 78p, sets on first-day The William Marler Gallery, 17 Bull Ring, covers for £1.20 (or £2.25, signed by RG), Ludlow, Shropshire, from 22nd November to plus 25p p & p in each case. 24th December. Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of the editors «/~British Birds