48 The Food of Some British Wild Birds. 



On May llth, 12th, 18th, and 26th, careful notes were made 

 at different periods of the day of the nature of the food, and these 

 are given below. 



May llth, 10.30 to 11.5 a.m. Fourteen visits were made to 

 the nest, food being brought on each occasion. This consisted of 

 5 slugs (3 Arion hortensis, Fer., and 1 Agriolimax agrestis, Linn.); 3 

 earthworms ; 3 wireworms ; 2 larvae of the Great Yellow Underwing 

 Moth (Triphaena pronuba, Linn.); a number of small beetles, too 

 small to be identified, 3 larvae of Crane Fly ; 2 pieces of bread. 



May 12th, 10.15 to 11.15 a.m. Thirty -two visits were made 

 to the nest by the parent birds, and food was brought on thirty- 

 one occasions. The following were identified : 18 larvae of the 

 Great Yellow Underwing Moth (Triphaena pronuba, Linn.), 16 slugs 

 (12 Arion hortensis, Fer., and 4 Agriolimax agrestis, Linn.); 8 small 

 earthworms; several small beetles; 2 spiders; 3 wireworms; a 

 number of Dipterous larvae. 



May 18th. At various times of the day fifty-two visits were 

 observed, at each of which food was brought to the nest. The 

 following were identified : 4 weevils (Barynotus obscurus, Fabr.) ; 3 

 wireworms; 15 larvae of the Great Yellow Underwing Moth; many 

 small Geometrid larvae ; 4 larvae of Crane Fly ; 4 earthworms ; 10 

 slugs (Arion hortensis, Fer.); 2 pieces of meat. 



May 26th. Forty-eight visits were observed. The following 

 food was identified : 6 large Noctuid larvae ; 8 larvae of Crane 

 Fly; 4 wireworms; number of small beetles; 11 slugs (8 Arion 

 hortensis) Fer., and 3 Agriolimax agrestis, Linn.) ; 3 earthworms ; 2 

 spiders ; bread and kitchen garbage on 5 occasions. 



Thus on one hundred and forty-six visits the following food 

 was conveyed to the nest: 61 insect larvae; a large number of 

 small beetles; 18 earthworms; 42 slugs; 4 spiders; and various 

 Dipterous larvae, bread, etc. The whole fairly represents the food 

 collected during the period of half a day. 



The post-mortem records of ninety-four examples are as follows : 



May 20th. Twenty specimens received. The food contents 

 identified were : 8 larvae of the Great Yellow Underwing Moth ; 

 8 larvae of the Winter Moth ; 9 small Lepidopterous larvae ; parts 

 of 5 wireworms; wing cases and legs of 3 beetles; few small 

 Dipterous larvae ; 3 spiders ; remains of slugs ; few pieces of earth- 

 worms ; bread in all cases. 



May 23-rd. Fourteen specimens received. The food contents 

 identified were: 5 larvae of the Great Yellow Underwing Moth; 

 8 small Lepidopterous larvae ; many small Dipterous larvae ; 

 remains of 9 slugs (Arion hortensis, Fer.); few pieces of earthworms; 

 bread and vegetable matter present in 12 cases. 



