Selous: Ornithological Observations in Brittany. 195 
JULY 17TH.—At the nest again in the afternoon, at 2-50, 
getting under the very close shelter I had made, and, during 
an hour and 25 minutes from then, all my observations of 
yesterday were confirmed. The chicks most certainly look 
upon the visits of the parents as the proper occasions for 
defcecation, nor have I once either to-day or yesterday, seen 
them perform this act during the intervals of these, though 
representing a longer period of time. The parents are both 
very assiduous, the male nearly if not quite as much so as the 
female; there is little, I think, to choose between them. The 
food brought is mostly flies, including ephemerids and other 
small flying creatures, but caterpillars are given, from time to 
time, and twice this afternoon a Meadow-Brown Butterfly was 
brought and presented whole to one chick. On a former occa- 
sion, I had seen a bird of this species (possibly one of the pair) 
with a good-sized moth in its bill. Several flies are usually 
brought at a time, as with Wagtails, and once the male fed 
two with a sort of ball of them, first letting one peck two or 
three times at it, thus getting something, and then giving the 
residue to the other. On other occasions, two or perhaps all 
three of the young were fed, but it is more usual for one only 
to be at each visit. Twice both the parents were at the nest 
together, and each fed a chick. 
Jury 18TH.—I sat and watched the pair at their nest, from 
my nest, as I might call it, from 6 p.m. to nearly 8-30 p.m. 
The young birds collectively defcoecated during this time, 
either nine or ten times (I am not quite sure which, but I think 
ten) and every time was during the visit of one of the parent 
birds, who regularly took the dropping in transitu and either 
swallowed it there and then, or flew off with it. There was 
just one occasion, however, when the act was rather sudden, 
and the parent did not quite succeed in its attempt to seize 
the object, which fell to the ground. As with the Blackcap, 
on a similar failure, it immediately dived down after it, and 
either swallowed or carried it away in the bill—I cannot now 
speak certainly as to which. The food consisted almost wholly 
of flies, which were brought in, in little black balls, but there 
also were two butterflies, a white one and a meadow brown, 
and a caterpillar. Both parents took part in the feeding, which 
continued, at short intervals, till about 7-30 when there was a 
longer one of some twenty minutes. It then recommenced 
and went on till twelve minutes past eight, when, as the very 
last offering, the Meadow Brown Butterfly which I have 
mentioned was given by the female, who, a moment afterwards, 
came gently on to the nest, or, rather, the fledgling birds, for 
they now entirely filled it. It seemed rather a difficult matter 
for her to brood them, and she was often pushed up by one 
head or another and only got into position again with some 
1915 June 1, 
