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THE ZOOLOGIST. 



scavenge rather than collect animals. Old Blackbirds fed on the 

 shore, and also took food away with them. 



It will be interesting to find out if land-birds ever become 

 infected with helminth or other parasites through feeding on 

 the shore. Miss M. V. Lebour has lately examined four Star- 

 lings for trematodes with no result. I find the Acanthocephalan, 

 Echinorhynchus cylindraceus, Schrank, is common in the Star- 

 ling, and also occurs in the Blackbird. I have observed stomach 

 contents as follows : — 



Starling 



I. Nov. 1909. 



II, „ „ 



III. June, 1910. 



IV. „ „ 



Gammarus, also beetle remains, 

 and tip refuse. 



Lacuna divaricata, Gammarus. 



Four Gammarus marinus. 



Six Littorina obtusata, two L. rudis, 

 G. marinus, G. locusta ; also a 

 Thysanuran and a Lepidopteran 

 larva. 



Over fifty Gammarus, five beetles. 



Ten L. rudis, over fifty Gammarus, 

 insect remains. 



One Rissoa cingillus, twenty Gam- 

 marus, and beetle remains. 



Six Gammarus, pips and bits of 

 apple-skin. 

 Blackbird, Nov. 1909. Lacuna divaricata. 



This list shows that they feed much as the shore-birds do. 

 Last November a Purple Sandpiper contained sponge spicules 

 and some Gammarus, and a Eed shank contained Idotea, L. 

 obtusata, and L. rudis. Among the weeds near high-water mark, 

 where the Starlings feed so abundantly on Gammarus, the Tur- 

 bellarian (Gunda ulvce) is very common, yet they do not appear 

 to touch them. 



VI. Aug. 1910. 

 VII. „ „ 

 VIII. „ 



