File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (18156719622).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo13amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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BIRD-BANDING IN AMERICA 147 spend the winter each year since 1909; and when shot was within about thirty-five miles of the spot where it was hatched. A farmer by the name of August Schilling of Evansville, Illinois, was walking across his fields on April 1, 1912, when he frightened a butcher bird from a fencepost where it had been feeding on what proved to be a bluebird. On picking up the victim and scrutinizing it, Mr. Schilling was astonished to discover that the bird wore a ring on its right leg, and that the ring bore an inscription. He wrote a letter giving the number of the band and asked for information saying, "Please let me know when the band was put on. There are lots of people who would like to know." This particular bluebird was one of a brood banded by Dr. R. M. Strong of the University of Chicago at West All is, Wisconsin on July 5, 1909. The band had been carried for two years and nine months and had apparently caused no inconvenience. It is probable that this bluebird had made two complete migrations to the south and was about to complete the last lap of a third when he was so unfortunate as to cross the path of Lanius borcalis. Beyond a doubt the year just past (1912) has seen the greatest progress in the work of banding birds in America. All told during the twelve months, eight hundred bands have been placed on birds and some of them have already yielded return records possessing a high degree of interest. The total number of species banded during the past summer is seventy- three, a few of the more unusual being black guillemot, great black-backed gull, least tern, glossy ibis, American egret, barn owl, short-eared owl, chestnut-collared longspur and dickcissel. It is only by extensive banding through a long period of time that results of value will be obtained. It cannot be wise to spring at conclusions with regard to the significance of return records. The fact that Mr. Baynes's chimney swift returned to its old stand after an absence of nearly a year in the tropics is insignificant as proof in itself. Before stating that chimney swifts invariably return year after year to the same chimney, it would be advisable, not to say necessary, to obtain manv similar records as corroborative evidence.
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Young piping plovers three days old banded on Martha's Vineyard, July 3, 1912. One was shot August 2 not far from the home site. As Massachusetts laws protect piping plovers at all seasons, this return record started an investigation of value

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