34 



NATUEAL ENEMIES OF THE COCCIM! : BIRDS. 



many of our insectivorous birds in Ceylon, and I have 

 never found them attracted by the plentiful supply of 

 insect food spread before them in a field of ' buggy ' 

 coffee. There is a particular aroma about many of t lie 

 Coccidae that is possibly distasteful to birds." 



Taken as a whole, it is quite safe to say the Coccida 1 

 are an offensive-smelling family of insects, which 

 possibly accounts for their comparative imm unity from 

 the attacks of birds and other vertebrates; hut, as in 

 all other families of insects, there are undoubtedly 

 exceptions. 



Here in England I have proved beyond doubt th.it 

 certain insectivorous birds feed very extensively upon 

 Coccids, and first called attention to this in the 

 Entomologist's Monthly Magazine (S. S., vol. vi. pp. 

 84, 85, 1895) by giving the results of certain post- 

 mortem examinations. Since that time I have con- 

 tinued my researches in the same, direction, with the 

 result that I am able fully to substantiate the evidence 

 there given. 



Below are given in a tabular form the results of my 

 post-mortem examinations, together with a summary 

 and remarks upon the species found. 



BLUK Tmiorsi: 



c? , Cheshire, 

 Jan. 24th, 

 1900. 



? , Cheshire, 

 Jan. 21th, 

 1900. 



Cheshire. 



Feb. 2nd 



1894. 



. i i;i 1.1.1 >, LINN.). 



COMKNTS OK SI...MA. 11 



One specimen of Myfiln*/ii* //<//// o- 

 quantities of lmd-scale>. and 

 fragments of small Coleoptera. 



Fifty-five specimens of 

 pomorum with about an equal number 

 of wing-cases of small weevils 

 (Coleoptera), and a quantity of frag- 

 ments of wheat grains. 



Aspidiotus zoinihix, many; Astero- 

 diaspis quercicola, very many, almost 

 filling the stomach. There were also 

 a few remains of a species of Micro- 

 Lepidoptera and remains of small 

 ^Coleoptera. 



