Tae ZooLtocist—NovEMBER, 1872. 3297 
they contain, and which, I believe, is named and figured by Curtis 
in his ‘ Farm Insects.’ 
Stone Curlew, Golden Plover and Common Curlew.— All most 
useful in keeping in check insect-pests. 
Partridge, Quail and Landrail.—Chiefly preserved for their 
direct value as anearticle of food, but really more valuable to the 
farmer by devouring large quantities of “ grubs” (larva of Noctuz), 
as well as larve and imagos of other injurious insects. 
Nightjar, Cuckoo and Spotted Flycatcher.—The latter has rather 
a penchant for ripe red currants; otherwise all three, as far as 
my experience tells me, are purely insectivorous. I certainly 
do not believe that the cuckoo sucks the eggs of any small birds. 
When shot with an egg in its mouth it has certainly its own 
egg there, and ready to be deposited in some nest at a fitting 
opportunity. 
Woodpeckers and Nuthatch.—Destroy the larve of Sirex and 
other wood-boring insects. The nuthatch, at this season, is 
very fond of hazel-nuts, which it securely places in crevices of the 
bark of oak trees, &c., and then dexterously splits them with its 
sharp-pointed bill. Where the birds are abundant, as they are in 
this neighbourhood, it is amusing to watch them first fix their nut 
firmly in a slit of the bark, and then hammer away at it, and so 
intent are they with their hard work that one may walk almost 
close to them without disturbing them. 
Hedgesparrow and Robin.—The former is a most industrious 
and useful little bird, picking up tiny insects and tinier seeds. 
The robin is also useful in this way, but very fond of ripe 
currants. 
Creeper, Wren, Goldcrest, Longtailed Tit, Cole Tit and Marsh 
Tit.—All more or less useful in preying on minute, and perhaps 
otherwise indestructible, insect-pests. I am inclined to add the 
blue and great tits to this list. Although in ordinary seasons 
I grow ten or twelve bushels of filberts for private use, and have 
examined scores of bunches that have been bored by tits, I in- 
variably found, by the portion of kernel left in the shell, that each 
nut had contained a larva of the mischievous nut-weevil or some 
other insect. The blue and great tits are most mischievous to ripe 
apples, but, if kept from these, they are almost entirely in- 
sectivorous, yet in the winter they will eat bread-crumbs and small 
seeds. ° 
