34 The Food of Some British Wild Birds. 



3. From Suburban Districts (59). 



ARTICLE OP DIET. 



BENEFITS. 



Aphids 



Lepidaptej*ous larvae 

 Diptera (Tipula sp.) 

 Remains of Dipterous larvae 



INJURIES. 



Wheat (most likely from horse drop- 

 pings) ... 



Tops of peas and young pea pods 

 Remains of blossom of Gooseberries 



Times 

 occurred. 



2 

 29 



7 

 15 



9 



16 

 5 



Number 

 occurred. 



12 

 64 

 21 

 70 



69 



NEUTRAL. 



Bread and household refuse 

 Seeds of 



Ohickweed 



Curled Dock . . . 

 Groundsel 



51 



33 



20 

 32 



201 



95 



300 



It will thus be seen that in the specimens obtained from fruit- 

 growing districts the good done by these birds far outweighed the 

 harm, whereas in the agricultural districts the food was mainly 

 wheat and other grains, whilst in the suburban districts a very 

 mixed diet was found. 



By keeping separate records of the stomach contents of the 

 birds under these three classes, a truer statement of the actual food, 

 I believe, has been obtained. 



Field Observations. 



I have watched this species feeding upon the larvae of the 

 Winter Moth (Cheimatobia brumata, Linn.), and also upon the small 

 Tortrix larvae so plentiful upon apple trees. In one case I 

 observed them picking apple-blossom to pieces to get at the larvae 

 of a Tortrix moth (Tortrix ribeana, Hb.), but I must confess that 

 they did quite as much harm as the larvae would have done. 



Slugs they are not particularly fond of excepting those newly 

 hatched, they also eat up the eggs of slugs. 



