47



IX.—Living Food for Insectivorous Birds.


off Michaelmas daisies and, in spite of their angry buzzing, are

taken at once from the fingers and eaten.


By far the greater number of the beetles ( Coleoptera ) may

be given to birds, but the common Stag-beetle (_ Lucanus cervus)

which, when approached by a bird throws itself into an attitude

of defence, raising itself on its front legs and holding its powerful

mandibles wide open, makes its opponent very cautions; I think

any of the Crows would be able to master it, but a Thrush seems

only able to fling it on its back and then cannot break through

its horny covering. The Soldier and Sailor beetles ( Telephoridce )

are not relished by birds, nor are the tiny metallic blue Cabbage

beetles (. Phesdon brassicce ) of which I once had several ounces sent

to me to test my birds with ; these beetles have a strong sour

smell like red ink and I did not wonder at their rejection.

Bloody-nosed beetles and Oil-beetles would also probably prove

equally objectionable. Larvae of Cockchafers are eaten, but they

make a disgusting mess of a cage in which they are broken up.


Although some of the Carabidce such as Carabus violaceus

have a most offensive odour, and on that account would probably

be generally refused in the beetle stage, their larvae, obtained

when digging up the earth, are greedily accepted, and I found

them most useful when my young Ouzels were being reared.

Pterostichus madidus, though a liard-shelled beetle, is eateir by

some of the larger birds.


The smaller Rove-beetles ( Staphylinidee ) are, I should

think, generally accepted ; but it would need a strong bird to

tackle the Devil’s Coach-horse ( Staphylinus olens ) which always

curls up its tail and opens its jaws when touched, a really terrify¬

ing attitude, and I should not expect it to be a tasty morsel.


The larvae of Spring-back beetles (. Elateridce ), which some¬

what resemble mealworms and are generally known as wire-

worms, are much liked by all insectivorous birds ; as of course

are the true mealworms ( Tenebrio ) of the family (Te?iebrio?iidce),

and the hairy larvae of the Bacon-beetle ( Dermestes lardarius) of

the family Dermestidce the perfect insect being also eaten with

pleasure.


Of the four-winged flies (, Hymenoptera ) I do not think birds



