The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-01-17
WILD CREATURES WEAR
IDENTIFICATION TAGS
Science Often Puts Bizarre Marks on
Birds. Animals and Fishes

A woodsman today shouldn't be
surprised to find a black bear with
brilliant green launches, or a
purple goose. Waterfowl wear
bright plastic neckties; sparrows
sprout white chicken feathers; but
terflies are emblazoned YALE"
Such markings, the National
Geographic Society says, help
overcome one of the biggest prob
lens of studying the behavior of
animals in the wild: to- human
eyes, different members of the
same species look alike.
Although new methods of mark
ing are being developed, it is an
old research tool. In the 4th CEN
fury B. c., Aristotle had fishermen
nick the fins of porpoises to learn
their life span.
Banding Birds
Bird banding, the most wide
spread system of marking, was
first practiced in North America
by John James Audubon. In 1904,
when Audubon was 10, he put sill
yer wire around the legs of two
nesting pewees in cave near
Philadelphia. The next year he
found the birds nesting near by
Systematic work with numbered
bands did not begin in the United
States until century later. Since
this some seven million American
birds have been marked, and about
one in ten of the bands has been
recovered. The technique has
taught great deal about migra-
ton and other avian habits.
To read a numbered band, the
ornithologist must have the bird
in hand. For sight Identification,
bright plastic leg bands, neck
rings, white feathers attached to
plumage, and other tags were de-
vised. Then things got out of con-
/ troll.
Too many people were putting
too many things on the birds. Com
plants came from hunters that
ducks looked like flying dime
stores. One experiment came to an
abrupt stop when some ducks
caught their bills in their neck
bands and starved to death.
The United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, which regulates
bird banding, recalled all permits
and rewrote them to make plain
what they allowed. Special author
ity was required for use of the
color tags. Experiments went for
ward on a reduced scale.
Dye Bath for Geese
One of the most easily recogniz-
able tags" is dye bath for the
whole bird. White snow geese, for
example, have been traced in Cali
fornia after being colored pink,
green, yellow or purple. This tech
nique is not limited to birds.
In New York State, biologists
have trapped black bears, dosed
them with ether, attached number
ed ear clips and then, for easy
Identification in the woods, covered
the hindquarters with green ena-
mel.
Alaskan bears get different
treatment. In a study to determine
the extent of salmon fishing by
bears, the big bruins were shot
from behind with harmless arrows.
The tips were walls that broke on
impact and splashed the fur with
dye.
! Tiny paper strips attached to
the wings of monarch butterflies
in Canada have been recovered in
Texas and Maryland, proving that
at least some of these insects mi
crate south like birds. Now Yale
scientists are stamping the name
of their institution on butterflies
in Florida to learn more about
butterfly migration.
' A homely means of marking
usually done from motives more
personal than scientific, is carving
| the date and finders initials or
the shells of turtles. A note OF
of whimsey sometimes intrudes
Turtles have been found in the
United States bearing such dates
as 1892.
New North Carolina Pamphlets
/ Two new pamphlets with con.
densed information about North
Carolina and designed especially
for school use are now available
free of charge.
| The pamphlets are companion
pieces. One is Illustrated in full
color with information of more OF
less permanent nature. 1t features
pictures of the state bird, flower
seal and Capitol, and has a brief
history and geography. 1t is en-
titled "North Carolina, The Tar
Heel State.
| The other, entitled "Facts About
North Carolina, is revised annual
ly with latest available current in
formation.
Both may be obtained upon re-
quest to the Dept. Conservation &
Development, State Advertising
~