FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 147 



moth, Panagra petraria, wings and all ; it carried the insect 

 by the terminal portion of the abdomen. The insect was 

 dead and did not flutter. 



23rd May. At 1 .45 W.P.C. put up to this pair, but the sexes 

 of the birds were nearly impossible to tell, and in W.P.C. 's 

 notes which follow the sexes are given with reserve, and the 

 determinations are based on behaviour as much as anything. 



2.0 Bird left. 2.2 Bird popped in very quickly. 2.5 Male (?) 

 with a green larva. 2.30 Both birds together. 



2.35 and 2.40 One bird only. 3. Bird with 4 small grey 

 moths, looked like Scoparias. 



3.7 Bird with what looked like a woodlouse. 3.15, 3.17 

 and 3.26 Bird came in. 3.28 Bird came with larvae. 



3.30 Bird came with two grey geometers, looked like 

 Lobophora halterata (this insect occurs very sparingly near 

 the nest, and abundantly about 800 yards or so away from 

 the nest). 



3.45 Male with large mouthful of insects (the enlarging 

 camera shews that the insects were mostly diptera). 



3.48 Bird again. 4.12 Bird with a whole beakful of 

 hymenoptera and diptera (the enlarging camera shews also 

 a spider, some of the hymenoptera are ants). 



4.30 Bird again. I then stopped. 



The quick jerky movement of this bird is very discon- 

 certing indeed, and unless one gets them in a position of rest 

 between the jerks 1.22nd of a second exposure gives a mere 

 blur. They seem unable to travel backwards easily, at which 

 the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) is expert. 

 They pitch below the nest and jerk up and in, and leave by 

 jerking themselves upwards out of the nest. They seem very 

 tame and fearless little birds, but usually announce their 

 arrival with their mouselike little squeak. Of course a worker 

 whose hearing w r as good would stand a much better chance 

 than I should, as the scratching of the birds' claws on the 

 bark would be audible. 



24th May. 1.25 I had another try at this pair of birds, 

 and I let them come in once or twice before I settled to making 



