H. LYNES: MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 145 



another was brought to me from forward (a young male 

 of the previous year, I think) in a very exhausted con- 

 dition, which I took to my cabin and endeavoured to 

 feed with cockroaches. The poor little fellow was in 

 such a state, however, that he could only crouch down 

 panting, with eyes closed, a pitiable spectacle, and would 

 not — probably could not — attempt to eat. I had to 

 leave him thus in my cabin for a short time, and on 

 returning I found he had disappeared and the food was 

 untouched. The mystery was cleared up a few days 

 later, when he came to light, a decomposing body, from 

 behind the writing table. 



We did what we could to feed our visitors, which, being 

 unfortunately all insect-eaters, could only be supplied 

 with one plat, viz., cockroaches ; however, we were more 

 or less successful as a good many birds came and ate 

 them, running about the deck and snapping them up 

 within a few inches of our feet. 



The first to come to the feast was the Subalpine 

 Warbler, which, with very little hesitation, hopped 

 eagerly after the cockroaches thrown down to him and 

 gobbled them with avidity. He ate at least a dozen, 

 and we really thought he had overeaten himself. His 

 example soon brought more birds, first a Wood-Wren, 

 then a Tree-Pipit, which was not quite so tame, but 

 managed a fair number of the outlying cockroaches, then 

 a male Pied Flycatcher, which partook freely, and a very 

 wet and wretched-looking Yellow-bellied Wagtail, which 

 was shy at first, and, finally, a very bedraggled White- 

 throat, which was either too frightened or too tired to 

 join in the feast. 



Of the five birds that I took for specimens (two Pied 

 Flycatchers, male and female ; two Whinchats, male 

 and female ; and one Wood- Wren), all had the stomach 

 empty, excepting one of the Flycatchers, which contained 

 a small quantity of something which certainly was not 

 cockroach, so probably was the undigested remains of 

 the last meal before leaving land. 



