A Joint Committee of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology has now been formed, under the Chairmanship of Stanley Cramp, to study the effects of toxic chemicals on birds. The Committee is anxious to obtain any evidence of birds being killed by agricultural chemicals used in sprays or seed dressings. The basic information needed is the date and locality of each kill, the species and number of birds affected, and the chemical used. The Committee would, however, appreciate prompt notification of any birds whose deaths are thought to be due to such chemicals so that, if necessary, corpses may be collected for analysis. All information should be sent to the Secretary of the Committee who is P. J. Conder, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 25 Eccleston Square, London, S.W.i.The British Trust for Ornithology and the Wildfowl Trust have agreed jointly to conduct an enquiry on the Whooper Swan {Cygnus cygnus) this coming winter. The purpose of the enquiry is to ascertain (a) status and distribution, (b) proportion of young in wintering herds, (c) dates of arrival and departure, and (d) general feeding habits in relation to agricultural crops. To supplement the regular Wildfowl Counts, observers are asked to make counts of Whooper Swans as frequently as possible and in as many areas as possible. Careful observations of feeding habits are particularly wanted, especially in the spring. The organiser is Miss Betty Garden, Eider Cottage, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, from whom copies