Food of Cuckoos ^53 



this hairy diet is responsible lor a hirgi' mortaUty among the immature 

 Cuckoos ? 



Most books emphasize the fact tliat the Cuckoo, during tlie latter 

 half of its sta>- in this country, subsists to a large extent on a diet of 

 hairy caterpillars. They do not, as a rule, give particulars of the 

 larvfe and other contents of the stomach found by direct examination 

 of indi\'idual specimens. 



I have, therefore, collected the notes of a dozen examples, 

 obtained in Suffolk, Norfolk and Argyllshire, giving the stomach- 

 contents in some detail. They are not in any way selected examples : 

 the skins, for the most part, are in my own collection, and they are 

 all the skins I have, except one or two where digestion had proceeded 

 so far as to make the correct identification of the material found in 

 the stomach impossible. 



I. May ; Norfolk. 



A few larvae, including those of the Tiger moth, remains of small 

 beetles, stones and grit. 



2. August ; Norfolk. 



Larvae (not identified), beetles etc. ; in addition to the ordinary 

 food, the stomach contains a piece of knotted cord of 

 medium size, and almost four inches in length. It was 

 doubtless swallowed by the bird for a crushed and disfigured 

 larva, to which it bore some rough resemblance. 



3. June ; male, adult, Norfolk. 



Numerous remains of the Cockchafer {Melolontha vulgaris) : 

 two or three larvae skins not identified. 



4. August : male, immature, Norfolk. 



A single larva of the Buff-tipped moth. 



5. September ; male, imm., Norfolk. 



An extraordinarih' large number of the larvae of the Buff-tipped 

 moth. I counted as man\- as 34, most of which were 

 full}^ grown. 



6. July ; male, imm., Norfolk (River Bure, Ranworth). 



A considerable number of the lar\-ae of the Swallow-tailed 

 butterfly. 



7. May ; male, ad., Norfolk. 



Gullet and stomach filled with the skins of the larv;e of the 

 Oak-egger and Drinker moths. 



S. September ; female, imm., Suffolk. 



Thirty full-sized larvae of the Buff-tipped moth. 

 <). October ; male, imm., Suffolk. 



Crammed-full of the heads and empt\- skins of the larvae of the 

 Buff-tipped moth. 



