Seventy-five years ago

01 January 1991 Comments Other 'Unlike most species of duck, Sheld-drakes are not clumsy on land. They assembled on their leking-ground about 11 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. Some bathed and then sat apart preening themselves. Others began to play at once . . . When close together, the wings...
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Monthly marathon

01 January 1991 Comments Other Yes, we admit it, plate 237 in the October 1990 issue was an absolute stinker. It was named by entrants as: (43%) Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator (19%) Black-necked Grebe P. nigricollis (12%) (10%) Shag Phalac...
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Monthly marathon

01 September 1989 Comments Other It is very hard for a competition compiler to assess whether a particular puzzle is easy or difficult. He or she may think that the solution is glaringly obvious (or impossibly difficult), but the entrants may not spot the essential clue, or may see so...
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Seventy-five years ago...

01 September 1989 Comments Other Personally, I should find it much easier to believe that the corn-drill was partly responsible, for its effect would be to limit the number of possible breeding-sites; only it does not appear from the information received that any considerable proporti...
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