List of Birds Examined. 

 Post-mortem Records. 



29 



Field Observations. 



I can corroborate all that Hooper and Theobald say with 

 respect to the habits of this bird, in addition to which, in kitchen 

 gardens, it is a most destructive pest. 



Food of Nestlings. 



Of the thirteen nestlings examined only nine contained the 

 remains of insects, the contents of the remaining four consisting 

 of broken fragments of some seeds only. In all cases these frag- 

 ments were present sometimes in the form of a starchy pulp. 

 Remains of fourteen small caterpillars and three spiders were also 

 present, and the wings of nine small Dipterous flies. 



Examination of Faeces. 



I have elsewhere shown (36a) that by placing the droppings 

 upon sterilised soil, various species of weeds were cultivated. 

 Thirty-eight droppings thus treated produced fifty-two plants 

 referable to the following species : Charlock, curled dock, ribwort, 

 dandelion, knotweed, goosegrass, and corn marigold. 



