Comparisons on the breeding ecology between Parus varius varius in the mainland of Japan and P. v. owstoni in the Izu Islands were studied using nest boxes from 1972 to 1975. The result obtained was as follows.
1. Breeding season. Little difference was found in the seasonal distribution of the date of the first egg laying in two subspecies. In both subspecies, the earliest clutch was found in late March, and the latest clutch was found in early or middle June. The first large peak in the seasonal distribution was in early or middle April, and the second rather indistinct peak was in late May (Fig. 2).
The brood in which a first egg was laid before May 10 was called "the early brood", and the brood in which a first egg was laid on and after May 11 was called "the late brood".
2. Clutch size. The mean of the clutch size was 6.2 in the mainland subspecies (Fig. 3), and 3.9 in the island subspecies (Fig. 4). The dif ference in the clutch sizes seems to be closely related to the difference of the breeding density in two subspecies.
3. Egg weight and nestling weight. Marked differences were found in egg and nestling weights, those in the island subspecies being larger in correlation with the adult body size (Table 2, Fig. 5).
4. Incubation period and nestling period. The incubation period reckoned from the date of the completion of clutch to the date of the first hatching of young was hardly different in two subspecies, and the mean was about 14 days in both subspecies (Table 3). The nestling period reckoned from the date of the first hatching of egg to the date of the first young to fly was a little longer in the island subspecies. The mean was 18.3 days in the mainland subspecies and 19.0 days in the island subspecies (Table 4).
5. Breeding success. In the mainland subspecies, when losses from predation are included, about 75 per cent of the eggs hatched successfully and about 80 per cent of them gave rise to flying young (Table 5). When losses from predation are excluded, over 95 per cent of the eggs hatched successfully, and also over 95 per cent of them gave rise to young which left the nest. In the island subspecies, no losses by predation were observed probably because of the absence of any snakes and Apodemus argenteus. Percent hatched was over 95%, and percent flying was also over 95% (Table 6). These values were not significantly different from those excluded losses from predation in the mainland subspecies.
6. Breeding density. The breeding density in the island subspecies was remarkably higher than that in the mainland subspecies. The number of pairs per 1 km. was five to six in the mainland subspecies, and ten to fifteen in the island subspecies (Table 7).

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1. I stayed from 31st Oct. to 6th Dec. 1973 at Ramnagar, Jamu and Kashimir, north-western India, and investigated the wintering birds. The relationships between habitat structure and feeding behaviors of wintering birds were observed and discussed. 2. The study area is situated in the mountain rural village and has the artificial vegetations. The environment of birds may be divided into eight habitats, i.e., pine woods, deciduous woods, Leguminosae thin woods, bushy area, grassland, river, paddy field, and human habitation. Each habitat has a characteristic species composition and relative abundance corresponding to the structure of the habitat. 3. Of the wintering birds of Ramnagar, the commonest are the birds of Turdinae. Each species of this group is separated into the characteristic living spaces. There are three types, 1) ground attacking without watching posts, 2) ground attacking from watching posts on bush, and 3) flycatching to the space between trees from watching posts. In winter in Ramnagar, the living space of typical Muscicapinae is left vacant. But some species of the Turdinae enter into the lower space of the Muscicapinae's space. 4. There are three types of aggregation in birds; 1) mobbing assembly, 2) hunting party, and 3) chorus group. The mood of noise attracts some birds from their specific living space and promotes to the more available space exploitations. Such assemblies suggest the creation of the biological space by birds. 5. Conspicuous winter territories were observed. Especially, some species of the Turdinae have solitary territories, for example, the flycatching members and the ground attackers in openland. However, all observed cases are of intra-sexual territoriality. The males of Plumbeus Redstart are territorial, but the females are the non-territorial solitary. In the Blue-headed Redstart, both males and females are intra-sexually territorial, but had no inter-sexual territoriality.

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The present paper deals with the role of fruit-eating birds as the transporters of tree seeds, from the point of view of tree nursing in northern Hokkaido.
Ornithochoryl, or seeds dispersal of trees and shrubs by birds, is a very important factor in the dispersal of plants. Fruits are favorable foods for many species of birds, and birds transport the fruit's seeds to another locality for germination and establishment. The seeds of juicy fruits (e.g., drupe, berry, hesperidium, pome, etaerio, cynarrhodium, etc.) are thus dispersed by birds in the way of endozoochoryl, since the juicy part of fruit or pericarp, especially mesocarp, is digested; but the seed is not, or can not be digested in the digestive tract of a bird (Figs. 1 and 3).
In the correlation of birds and juicy fruits, the pericarp has evolved in size, color, taste, etc. to be eaten by birds, and the seed coat, or shell (endocarp) of drupe, may have evolved in hardness not to be digested (Fig. 4). This hypothesis of the hardening of seed coat may be supported by the data of germination in nursing practices. Seeds of juicy fruits germinate generally in the next spring of sowing (Table 1). To soften the hard coat for rapid germination, we use knife, enzyme of bacteria, sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, boiling water, etc; or we pick young fruits with greenish epicarp and uncompletely hardened seed coat (Fig. 5), and sow seeds without pericarp immediately after picking.
Fruit-eating birds soften the hard coat, as we do in nurseries. It is pointed out that the hardened coat of seeds of juicy fruits is not convenient for tree nursing but indispensable for ornithochoryl.

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[in Japanese]

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The following two speices were observed after a summer typhoon in 1975.
1. An immature Red-footed Booby, Sula sula rubripes, was found exhausted at Yokohama Port, Tokyo Bay on 27th August after the typhoon No. 6 (Fig. 1). This is the third record of this species in Honshu.
2. Two immature Black Terns, Sterna nigra, were discovered at the estuary of Sagami River, Sagami Bay on 24th August (Fig. 2). This is the second record of this species in Japan. The birds were seen with two Roseate Terns, Sterna dougallii, and many Little Terns, Sterna albifrons, and Common Terns, Sterna hirundo. Other interesting sea-birds collected or seeing at the same time (23rd August) in the estuary of Sagami River, were an immature Bonin Petrel, Pterodroma hypoleuca hypoleuca, and an immature Sooty Tern, Sterna fuscata. At the time of the observations there were strong southerly winds in Sagami Bay.

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The author reported the breeding of Lanius cristatus lucionensis in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu. During the period from 1971-1976, 14 nests were found in the urban areas of Kumamoto and Yamaga Cities (Table 1). These nests were found on trees at the height 7-18 meters (7-10 meters in most cases) above the ground. The bird prefers more or less open places with trees, and roadside trees have often been chosen as nesting tree. Egg lying season ranges from early May to early July. The breeding from nest construction to fledging of young is estimated to require about 44 days. The clutch size varies from 3 to 6. but 4 appears to be normal.

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An individual of Sturnus sinensis was observed on Oct. 15, 1973 at Kahokugata, Ishikawa Prefecture.

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Diomedea immtabilis and Phalacrocorax urile were obtained by the author on the coast of Niigata Prefecture.The albatross is new to the list of Niigata birds.

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On 21 February 1974, a male bird of Philomachus pugnax was obtained by the author on the road in Niigata City.This is the first record of oceurrence of this species in Niigata Prefecture.

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Emberiza leucocephala was obtained for the first time from Niigata prefecture.

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An adult bird of Oceandroma castro was captured on Oct, 26, 1975, at the Hukushimagata Bird Station, Toyosaka City, Niigata Prefecture.This is the first record of occurrence of this species on the Japan Sea coast of Honshu.

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A Juvenle bird of Emberiza pussilla was captuned on Nov.3, 1975, at the Hukushimagata Bird Station, Toyosaka City.It is a second record of occurrence of this species in Niigata Prefecture.

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A female bird of Tadorna tadorna was found dead on the coast of Teradomari.This is the first record of occurrence of this species Niigata Prefecture.

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