346 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



to any conclusion, but getting thoroughly familiar with the bird 

 and its ways. A day or two later Mr. Maurice, who was staying 

 in Oxford, bicycled out to the wood at daybreak, and stayed there 

 a long time. He made careful notes on the spot, which he has 

 kindly placed at my disposal. I had myself become disabled by 

 rheumatism and neuritis, the result probably of spending too 

 much time in a damp wood in a very wet season. The general 

 result of Mr. Maurice's observations was to disconnect the bird 

 with the nest we had found, and to suggest another spot as likely ; 

 but it was part of our bad luck in the whole business that he too 

 was unwell after a slight sunstroke, and was unable to search as 

 carefully as he wished. His notes made on July 2nd are, how- 

 ever, very interesting, as showing the food and appearance of the 

 bird, and I will quote the most important part of them : — 



" I reached the spot about 4.15 a.m., and left it about 6.30 a.m. 

 The bird sang the whole time without interruption. (This is 

 remarkable for so late a date.) At first it was in the trees so 

 much frequented on the occasion of my last three visits, and, 

 though it made brief excursions to other parts, it always returned 

 to this neighbourhood. I beat out the part where I thought I 

 saw the hen last evening, but without result. I had several good 

 looks at the bird, and saw him kill two caterpillars in the manner 

 I observed yesterday {i.e. by knocking them against a branch). 

 On the second occasion he was very close to the supposed nest. 

 The caterpillar was a very long and large one, and very light in 

 colour. The process must have lasted certainly one minute, 

 probably a good two minutes. He paused several times, and 

 appeared to try to eat the caterpillar, but found it necessary to 

 resume the threshing process, presumably because the caterpillar 

 curled up and obstructed him. While threshing it, he held the 

 caterpillar by one end, so as to swing it full length. Twice in 

 the course of the battle he paused and sang a short snatch of 

 song, with the caterpillar still in his bill, though, as a rule, he 

 opens his mouth wide in singing. At length, whether by accident 

 or design I cannot say, he dropped the caterpillar. He followed 

 it at once, returned with it to a low branch, and devoured it in 

 the twinkling of an eye. He then sang, and retired singing to 

 his favourite haunt, not appearing to take any interest in our 

 nest, which now contains two young birds. 



