The Food of Nestling Birds. 19 



liootles; 18 earthworms; 42 slug's; 4 spiders; and various 

 Dipterous larvee, bread, i^c. Tlie whole fairly represents the 

 food collected during the period of half a day. 



House vSparrow (Passer dnmesficns, Tann.). 



The numbers of visits wci-o counted for periods of 

 sixty minutes on May 12th, 18th, 2Gth, and 27th, and were 

 as follows:— 20. 22; 18, 20; 20. 22; 20, 22, the average 

 working out at 20.2 visits per hour. The visits on one day 

 commenced just after 4 a.m., and continued until 7-30 p.m. 

 The number of visits daily is probably something between 

 220 and 260. 



Observations were made on various dates of 84 visits 

 to the nest, and the following ^Qve iienMfied: — 12 larvse of 

 the Winter Moth (Cheimatobia bruma^a, Linn.); 15 beetles 

 (Pht/llobius. sp.); 3 ladybird beetles; large number of small 

 Dipterous larvge; number of small Dipterous flies; 2 spiders; 

 on 23 occasions bread, potato, and other kitchen refuse. 

 Song Thrush (Turdiis musiciis, Linn.). 



Observations made on the number of visits paid by the 

 parent birds to the nest during four consecutive hours gave 

 the following results :— 22, 24, 18, 15. 



Blackbird (Turdiis vierula, Linn.). 



A similar count to the above was made on five differ- 

 ent occasions, extending over one hour each. The numbers 

 of visits were 26, 24, 20, 22, 20. 



II. — Examination of Faeces of Nestlings. 



Large quantities of the encapsuled fgeces of young 

 Starlings were collected and subjected to careful exarnination. 

 The results obtained are of interest in that they confirm the 

 observations made on the nature of the food brought to the 

 nest by the parent birds. 



The faeces collected and examined during the first ten 

 days gave but poor results, and would seem to point to the 

 fact that worms, slugs, and quite soft food formed the l>ulk 

 of the food during that period. The following materials were 

 identified :— 5 wing cases of 6eetles; 8 pieces of wings of 

 some Dipterous insect; 14 heads of Lepidopterous larvae; 1 

 remains of wireworm. 



The feeces collected and examined later showed the 



