THE COLORATION PROBLEM. 81 



Food. — Boarmia cinctana. The most that can be said of this is that 

 it is a case of grave suspicion. I was working for this insect and had 

 found a <? sitting head up. I had previously boxed a number sitting 

 as usual sideways. I had to go to fetch further boxes. The insect was 

 freshly emerged and perfect. I was returning to box this insect when 

 T saw the bird go into the tree, so ran across quickly to find that the 

 insect had a large piece torn out of one of the hindwings. I feel sure 

 that I should have noticed a big piece of triangular shape gone from 

 the wing, if that had been the case when I first looked at it. Not far 

 away I found a 5 with practically the whole of the forewing neatly 

 bitten off. 



Observer. — E. H. Curtis. Time. — Late afternoon. 



Date.— May 15th, 1916. Sex.— ^ and 2 . 



Place. — Canford, Dorset. Duration. — 1-| hours. 



Food. — Eupithecia nanata and a micro unknown to E.H.C. The 

 insects were taken on the Aving at the rate of two or three a minute, 

 but no detailed record was kept. 



Observer. — E. H. Curtis. Time. — Early morning. 



Date. — May 16th, 191G. Sex.^c? and 2 . 



Place. — Canford, Dorset. Duration. — 1 hour. 



Food. — E.H.C. kept no details of this, but noted 13 visits to the 

 next, adding, " The food they brought was all small flies so far as I 

 could see,and only once a small micro-moth of the species that haunts 

 furze bushes." I surmise that E.H.C, means Catoptria idicftana. 



Same nest, May 18th, 1916. Duration. — Not recorded. 



Food.— E.H.C. kept no details of food, but after various remarks 



about the birds, records, " the food of the P. ruhicola seemed to be all 



insects, but I saw no Lepidoptera." 



[Note. — The above is nearly impossible to summarise properly for 



want of details, though the records have an interest to which I shall 



advert later.] 



21. Oenanthe oenanthe, L. The Wheatear, 



Observers. — W. P. and E. H. Time. — Afternoon. 



Curtis. 



Date.— September 27th, 1914. Sex.—? 



Place. — Chapman's Pool, Dorset. Duration, — Casual. 

 Food. — Grasshopper. 



22. Accentor modularis, L. Hedge Sparrow. 



Observer. — W. P. Curtis. Time. — Afternoon. 



Date.— May 2nd, 1914. Sex.— ? . 



Place. — Canford, Dorset. Duration. — 3 hours. 



Food.— The young birds were very small indeed and were fed very 

 rarely. I was not able to keep any detailed note of the food. The hen 

 only fed them. 



Same nest. May 3rd, 1914. Duration. — 2 hours. 



Time,— 2.30. Food.— Tiny insects. ? order. 



Time.— 2.40. Food.— Tiny Diptera and (?) 



Hymenoptera, 



