List of Birds Examined. 49 



May 25th. Sixteen specimens received. The food contents 

 identified were : 8 larvae of Great Yellow Underwing Moth ; 9 

 larvae of the Winter Moth ; 5 wireworms ; 7 wing cases of weevils 

 Barynotus obscurus, Fabr.); few Fungus Gnats; 3 spiders; 2 centi- 

 pedes ; remains of 5 slugs ; few pieces of earthworms ; bread, meat, 

 and vegetable matter present in 7 cases. 



May 28th. Twenty-two specimens received. The food contents 

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

 7 small Lepidopterous larvae; 8 wireworms; 11 wing cases of 

 weevils (Barynotus obscurus, Fabr.); various small Dipterous flies; 

 2 spiders; 1 centipede; remains of 11 slugs (Arion hortensis, Fe>.); 

 7 partly digested earthworms (Allolobophora chlorotica, Sav.); bread, 

 meat, and vegetable matter present in 15 cases. 



May 29th. Twenty-four specimens received. The food contents 

 identified were : 6 larvae of the Great Yellow Underwing Moth ; 10 

 larvae of the Winter Moth; 9 wireworms; wing cases, legs and 

 other remains of 23 beetles ; 3 spiders ; 1 slug (Arion Jiortensis, Fe"r.) ; 

 9 earthworms (Allolobophora chlorotica, Sav.); bread, meat and 

 vegetable matter present in 19 cases. 



Examination of Faeces. 



Large quantities of the encapsuled faeces of young starlings 

 were collected and subjected to careful examination. The results 

 obtained are of interest in that they confirm the observations made 

 on the nature of the food brought to the nest by the parent birds. 



The faeces collected and examined during the first ten days 

 gave but poor results, and would seem to point to the fact that 

 worms, slugs, and quite soft food formed the bulk of the food 

 during that period. The following materials were identified : 5 

 wing cases of beetles; 8 pieces of wings of some Dipterous insect; 

 14 heads of Lepidopterous larvae ; 1 remains of wireworm. 



The faeces collected and examined later showed the following 

 remains : 1 wing case of ground beetle (Pterostichus madidus, 

 Fabr.); 19 legs of various small beetles; 1 wing case of ladybird 

 beetle ; 23 wing cases of weevils ; 27 heads of Lepidopterous larvae ; 

 parts of 5 wireworms ; half of centipede (Geophilus longicornis) ; frag- 

 ments of plant remains ; grit. 



Conclusion. 



As has long been contended by agriculturists, numerically this 

 bird has increased enormously during the last ten or twelve years. 

 This increase I believe to be largely due to migration and the 

 protection afforded to wild birds in general. Considerably reduced 

 in numbers, I believe the starling would regain the good name it 

 has borne in the past, and prove a most useful bird to the farmer ; 

 at present it is far too numerous and a source of considerable loss. 



