b THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD. 



cliffs just after sundown on to the top of the Downs, but I was unable 

 to find out what they came up for. The second evening, however, we 

 got into close proximity to one of the crowds, and Miss Cook called my 

 attention to the antics V)t the birds as they walked. ^Ye stayed to 

 watch them. The actions, which were quite grotesque, being a Corvine 

 attempt to emulate the airy feats of the Motacillas, were due to the 

 efforts of the bird to catch Hepialus iHpulinus, as it buzzed amongst the 

 short grass. They seemed pretty successful as long as the insect kept 

 movnig, but were nonplussed directly it sat down. The careful way 

 the birds scrutinised the resting place was most interesting. The birds 

 made exceedingly short work of the insects, treating them like oysters 

 and swallowing them wings and all at a gulp. Their appetites are 

 notoriously voracious, but the matter-of-fact waj- they kept at the 

 slaughter of the " Swifts," as long as they could see them, was astonish- 

 ing. This, of course, accounted for the congregations of the previous 

 evening. 



[Note. — On the whole I think this is a valuable observation. We 

 had the birds as close as 30 yards. I could see the iris of the bird's 

 eyes quite distinctly. 1 could see the moths quite distinctly, so dis- 

 tinctly that even laad I not known that H. liqmlinns was flying in 

 thousands I could have identified it with certainty at the distance. I 

 estimated the number of Rooks and Jackdaws in the four acres or so 

 of clear around us at 850, but probably that was an under estimate. 

 It is very difficult to estimate and impossible to count. I would 

 remark on this, that I am absolutely positive of the identity of captors 

 and of captures, and I particularly call attention to the fact that when the 

 H. ln]ndinus sat down the birds had great difficulty in seeing them. 

 Speaking for myself, I have found that H. hiimUnus sitting low down 

 in grass is very hard indeed to see, and I might add that though I 

 knocked down and examined a number there were none of the white 

 fusca form amongst them. The Downs at this point are well covered, 

 and do not exhibit the customary bare patches,] 



2, Sturnus vulgaris, L. The Starling. 



Observer. — E. H. Curtis. Time. — ? 



Date.— June 1st, 1913. Sex.—? 



Plage. — Berewood, Dorset. Duration. — Casual. 



Food. — Flies (species ?). He caught one big fiy and beat it on the 

 ground, but picked it up and took it further away every time I tried 

 to get near enough to identify it. 



3. Chloris chloris, L. The Greenfinch. 



Observer. — W. P. Curtis. Time. — a.m. 



Date. — June 5th, 1914. Sex. — $ and 5 . 



Place. — Owslebury, Winchester. Duration. — 2 hours. 

 Food. — Feeding young at nest. 5 times by regurgitation. 



Observer. — W. P. Curtis. Time. — a.m. 



Date, — June 6th, 1914. Sex. — 3 and $ . 



Place, Owslebury, Winchester. Duration.— 2 hours. 



Food. — 6 times by regurgitation. 



[Note. — The regurgitated food was a white pappy mixture like 



