420 MR. С. К. М. SWYNNERTON ON 
In one case in which I went down to the gooseberry bushes and examined 
them after the bird’s flight, Т assured myself quite definitely that no fresh 
damage had been inflicted, although the bird had visited flowers, and at least 
one of the latter afforded indirect evidence that it had been entered by the 
natural opening. The pistil was pressed to one side and the hairs on 
its exposed side grazed off, while those pointing inwards from the rim 
of the receptacle were much damaged and pressed. I found no small 
insects inside the flowers at this time. 
“This evening, however, а good many midges are out, some of them ai 
the gooseberry bushes, and I have made a fresh and thorough examination 
of the flowers to ascertain if insects could now be a partial attraction. 
None of the intact flowers examined contained anything : their hair barrier 
must be very effective in excluding small insects. Of the torn flowers, 
approximately one in fifteen contained a midge that was utilizing the 
bird damage. This would hardly, one would imagine, be sufficient to induce 
a bird to go to the trouble of tearing such large numbers of flowers. 
“Tt has been a glorious day—the first for some time past, and the first on 
which апу insects other than hive-bees and humble-bees have put in an 
appearance. Even such ground-feeders as chaftinches have been taking 
insects freely on the wing to-day. The red-flowering currant flowers are 
still attracting nothing but a few hive-bees and humble-bees, but the 
gooseberry flowers have been attended not only by these (in small numbers), 
but in the warmer hours by the large yellow flies (Scatophaga stercoraria, 
Meig.) in great numbers and pairing freely, evidently a large brood being 
just out. These probed intact flowers properly, and are doubtless capable 
of contributing to their pollination, but they probed torn flowers mostly by 
their artificial openings. I saw many instances of this on their part, and 
one or two on the part of a bluebottle fly (1 believe Calliphora erythrocephala, 
Rob.-Desv.) that was present at the flowers in small numbers and entered 
intact flowers properly. The yellow flies seemed not to be attracting birds 
at all despite their numbers, and from their comparative sluggishness I 
should think it possible that they may not be altogether a dainty. 
“ A queen wasp was also visiting the flowers (by the proper opening), and 
a drone fly (Eristalis tenaw, Latr., dark form), an excellent mimic of the 
hive-bee, was resting on a leat round which three individuals of its model 
were busily visiting flowers. 
* While [ was standing on one occasion beside the ‘flowering currant’ 
bush (only one remains at all satisfactorily in flower), a Chiffchaff, Phiyllo- 
scopus rujus (Bechst.), perched on an ash twig overhead and dropped thence 
to the currant bush, but saw me, and at onee flew off, so that I could not tell 
whether it was for the sake of the flowers or not that he had come.” 
* April 21st.--On the days that have elapsed since I made the above entry 
I have examined a number of gooseberry bushes growing wild in hedgerows, 
