50 Wilson : Notes on the FcBces of Young Birds. 



' Barynotus elevatus. Marsh. Scar- I *H. murina F. Forge Valley. 



Grypidius eqitiseti F. Raincliffe 

 Woods. 



borough. 

 Alophiis triguttatus F. ForgeValley. 

 Hyper avariabilis Herbs. Hackness. 



The addition therefore of these thirty-eight species or 

 varieties raises the number of beetle records for the Scar- 

 borough district to 975. ^ 



NOTES ON THE FAECES OF YOUNG BIRDS. 



W. WILSON. 



Whilst photographing birds at their nests from my tent, 

 I have had a good opportunity of noting the mode adopted 

 by various species of birds in the removal of the faeces from 

 their nests. 



Missel Thrush. — I had three nests under observation, 

 and in each case the male and female parents swallowed the 

 faeces before leaving their nests, with a few exceptions, when 

 they carried them away. In one case the female swallowed 

 three separate faeces during a period of 15 minutes, whilst 

 brooding her young. With another pair I visited every other 

 day until the young left the nest, I noticed on the fourteenth 

 day that the faeces had changed from a white colour to a black 

 and white one. Up to this day the parent birds had swallowed 

 all the faeces, but now they began to carry them away from 

 the nest, and dropped them, whilst flying, when about 20 to 

 30 yards from their nest. 



Song Thrush. — During the last few years I have noticed 

 both male and female parents at different nests swallow the 

 faeces on some visits to their young, and at other visits they 

 have carried them away. In one case I noticed that one 

 female parent swallowed two faeces and carried a third one 

 away. 



Blackbird. — The remarks on the Song Thrush also apply 

 to this species. 



Ring Ousel. — I had two pairs of this species under observa- 

 tion in 1911. At every visit to the nest, they waited until the 

 faeces were ejected, and then they immediately swallowed 

 them, sometimes they swallowed three at one visit to their 

 young. 



Chaffinch. — Both parents of this species carry away the 

 faeces (with one exception, when the male parent swallowed 

 one). A few days before the young leave the nest, the parents 

 discontinue to remove the faeces, and the outer side of the nest 

 becomes covered with them, which makes it very noticeable. 



Naturalist, 



