3296 THE ZooLOoGIsT—NOVEMBER, 1872. 
Kestrel.—Another great destroyer of field-mice, and conse- 
quently a true farmer’s friend. 
Peewit.—Almost entirely insectivorous, feeding chiefly on worms 
and larve which are near the surface of the land, such as those of 
Noctua Segetum, N. exclamationis, &c. It is also amusing to 
watch them through a telescope running and picking up imagos of 
Coleoptera and other insects. 
Brown Linnet.—During the summer insectivorous, but no less 
serviceable during the autumn and winter months. On light 
chalky soils, where those pernicious weeds charlock and wild 
mustard abound, and have shed their seeds among standing corn, 
flocks of brown linnets may daily be seen among the stubbles, 
ridding the ground of seeds, which, be it remembered, will lie in 
the ground many years without vegetating—in fact, when deeply 
buried by the plough, only waiting to be again turned up suffi- 
ciently near the surface to receive the vivifying influence of sun 
and air. 
Wagtails—In some counties called “ dish-washers.” Food 
almost entirely confined to insects, and the larve of small 
dipterons—to wit, those of the genus Culex, to which the true 
mosquito belongs: the latter, Culex pipiens,—and probably allied 
species,—has been abundant the latter part of this summer, and, in 
fact, is so now (September 18th). The swarms of insects which 
attacked the reapers, I think in Kent (vide daily papers), were, in 
all probability, swarms of winged ants, Hymenopterous insects of 
the genus Formica, which sting. Mosquitoes have not this power, 
but raise a most irritating bump by inserting the point of the pro- 
boscis in the skin and sucking up the blood: the operation is 
performed only by the females. 
Goldfinch.—Feeds on small seeds: large flocks may often be 
seen on the heads of thistles that have been allowed to go to 
seed. 
Chaffinch, Brambling, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin. — Chiefly 
on small seeds of pernicious weeds; the first two especially on 
the seeds of charlock, wild mustard, and different species of 
Veronica that occur in cultivated land. 
Pipits.—Insectivorous. 
Song Thrush and Redwing.—Two most useful birds, living 
almost entirely on snails. Redwings also open the excrescences 
on the bulbs of turnips, and extract the small white maggot which 
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