THE COLORATION PROBLEM. 149 



Observer. — E. H. Curtis. Time.— Afternoon. 



Date.— July 23rd, 1916. Sex.—? Two birds. 



Place. — Badbury Rings, Dorset. Duration. — Casual. 



Food. — The larvae of Zyr/a-ena filipendulae, watched with glasses. 

 E.H,C. thinks this result discounts my observation recorded above, but 

 I give it because the birds did take something from high on the grass 

 stems where the Z. filipendulae were sitting. 



Evidence of attack not sufficiently detailed to be given above. 



Victim. — Triphaena (Agrotis) 



pyoniiba. Date. — July 26th, 1918. 



Place. — Morden Decoy, Dorset. Observer. — W. P. Curtis. 

 Particulars. — ^Four wings on a pathway. Possibly attacked by a 

 bat or a nightjar,, and probably on the wing. 



Victim. — Green Aphides. Date. — July 20th, 1913. 



Place. — Parkstone, Dorset. Observer. — Frank Hudson. 



Particulars. — Watched a finch (species ?) for twenty minutes taking 

 aphides from the underside of plum leaves. 



Victim. — Pyrameis atalanta. Date. — September 22nd, 1913. 



Place. — Poole. Observer. — W. P. Curtis. 



Particulars. — -About 9 a.m. two forewings lying on a wet pavement, 

 but both dry and uninjured except at the base. ? bird. 



Victim. — Hihernia vicni/inana. Date. — March, 1914. 

 Place. — Bere Wood, Dorset. Observer. — W. P. Curtis. 



Particulars. — Four wings lying in the ride. Either bat or bird. 



Victim. — Dichonia areola. Date. — ^April 9th, 1916. 



Place. — Dunyeat's Hill, Poole. Observer. — W. P. Curtis. 

 Particulars. — Four wings lying at the foot of an oak. Quaere bird; 

 quaere attacked at rest. 



30. Falco tinnunoulus. The Kestrel. 



We spent two Sundays, of twelve hours on the first occasion and 

 eight on the second, on a pair of these birds feeding young, but the 

 only food identified with any degree of certainty was the Meadow 

 Pipit, Anthiis pratmsis, and the long tailed Field Mouse, Mas sylvaticus. 

 No insect food of any description appeared to be brought to the nest. 



On May 14th, 1916, I examined a quantity of castings of a kestrel,, 

 which contained innumerable remains of many species of beetles, but 

 I could see nothing Lepidopterous about the castings. 



In early August, 1916, at Arish Mell, Dorset, I saw six kestrels at 

 work every day for ten days, on the Downs in the neighbourhood, 

 catching Alelauan/ia f/alathea, Anjynnis aylaia, Epinephele ianira, and 

 other common Lepidoptera, but it will be patent that I could keep no 

 account. 



31. Larus ridibundus, L. The Blackheaded Gull. 



Observer. — W. P. Curtis. Time. — 5.30 p.m. 



Date.— July 31st, 1913. Sex.— (?) About 20 individuals. 



Place. — Poole. Duration. — At intervals for" one 



hour. 

 Food. — Winged individuals of ants, which were swarming. 



