INTRODUCTION. 



Representations have been made to the Board of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries during recent years respecting the losses caused 

 by birds to the farmers and fruit growers of this country, and 

 the Board have repeatedly been urged to take strong measures 

 to reduce the nuisance. On the other hand, many correspon- 

 dents, among whom are included some scientific authorities, 

 have pointed out the benefits conferred by birds in keeping 

 down the number of insect and other pests that occasion such 

 an enormous annual loss. Experience has shown that many 

 of the writers of the first class have based their complaints on a 

 faulty observation of facts, and in spite of the number of state- 

 ments made on the subject it remains abundantly clear that 

 there is very little really accurate knowledge about the food 

 and habits of birds. The Board, therefore, have come to the 

 conclusion that before any legislative action could be recom- 

 mended, a much fuller and more scientific inquiry would need 

 to be made on the lines of the work that has been carried on in 

 North America and in certain countries of the Continent of 

 Europe. 



As a preliminary contribution to the inquiry, they have been 

 fortunate enough to obtain a valuable report from Mr. Newstead, 

 of Liverpool University, which is printed in the present Supple- 

 ment to the Journal. Mr. Newstead, whose name is well- 

 known in connection with entomological research, has conducted 

 the investigations reported on here through a period of twenty 

 years, and has materially contributed to the sum of knowledge 

 on the subject. But valuable as the work is, it is clear that a 

 great deal more requires to be done, especially as regards the 

 food of nestlings and of adult birds in the summer. 



A Committee of the British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science was appointed in the autumn of 1908 to carry out 



