234 



FOOD OF BOREUS. 



CYRIL L. WITHYCOMBE, F.E.S. 



I WAS much interested in seeing Mr. C. A. Cheetham's notes 

 on Boreus in The Naturalist for May. I have found Boreus 

 hyemalis not uncommonly in Epping Forest in November, 

 but never later than December, so that with us it appears 

 to be comparatively short lived, and I doubt if it requires 

 much food. I tried several experiments to ascertain what 

 kind of food was taken. Owing to their abundance, spring- 

 tails were first given, but with negative results. Other 

 insects were offered, some after being damaged, but all without 

 result as long as the insect continued to shew any movement . 

 Finally a crushed fly was tried, and Boreus was seen to feed on 

 the juices which had been squeezed out. On a diet of this 

 kind I was able to keep one specimen alive for 37 days, this 

 being some time after those in the wild state had disappeared. 

 Several Boreus confined with numbers of Podura, etc., died in 

 a week or so, apparently unable to feed on the fare provided. 

 Of course, soft-bodied larvae or worms may be the natural 

 food. I did not try these. 



It is interesting to know that Mr. Cheetham found Boreus 

 on the snow, and that insectivorous birds were absent. In the 

 forest I went on two occasions to look for Boreus after snow, 

 in places where it was known to occur, but with no success. 

 Insectivorous birds were very plentiful, however. 



With regard to the suggestion that the larval Boreus 

 ' requires summer conditions,' I have found larvae full fed 

 as early as December, but more usually they reach this state 

 in February or March, pupation not taking place before the 

 end of August or September. — Walthamstow, May, 1921. 



Flying Homer Pigeons, by A. J. Macself. Country Life, 

 London, gd. net. This forms one of a series of Practical Handbooks 

 issued by Country Life. In its 32 pages it gives a good deal of useful 

 advice tor the novice and the veteran pigeon liyer. In a concise anf^ 

 practical manner an ideal loft and fittings arc described, how to form 

 a stud is fully explained, with details as to mating and breeding, proper 

 feeding and the training of young birds ; a useful chapter is devoted to 

 ailments and diseases, with remedies to correct them. One is glad to 

 see that the author condemns the use of ' Salt Cat,' a curious name 

 given to a mixture of rock salt, old mortar and sand, which the old 

 fancier believed to be absolutely necessary for the health of the birds. 

 The author is convinced that an excess of salt and lime instead of being 

 beneficial to health is wholly detrimental. The frontispiece is a photo- 

 graph of a remarkable bird, a red chequer cock 'The Talisman,' which 

 fiew 515 miles 1.519 yards in 10 hours 50 minutes ; a velocity of 1396- 

 yards per minute. — R.F. 



Naturalist 



