2 



Some of the earlier records date back to the year 1879, but 

 the greater portion of the work has been conducted during the 

 last twenty years or so. With the exception of a relatively few 

 species of birds no special effort was made to obtain the material. 

 In nearly all cases the birds were presented to the Grosvenor 

 Museum, Chester, and as. they passed through my hands for 

 preservation post-mortem examinations were made and the 

 stomach contents carefully examined and tabulated. I wish, 

 however, to express my thanks* to Col. B. G. Da vies Cooke, 

 Colomendy, Mold ; to Messrs. T. A. Coward and Sidney G. 

 Cummings ; and also to my brothers Alfred and Arthur 

 Newstead for their kindness in providing me with material 

 which has proved of considerable interest and value. 



The exact nature of the food found in all instances has 

 been, as far as possible, fully catalogued, so that it may be 

 available for any further investigations which may be con- 

 ducted in this country. The sex, date of capture, and the exact 

 locality are given in nearly all cases, and additional information 

 is furnished where it has been thought desirable or of any 

 economic importance. 



The food of the nestling young is a phase of the subject 

 which has received but little attention. It is my impression, 

 however, that with more extended observations we shall find 

 that not only are the young of the various species of insec- 

 tivorous birds fed upon soft-bodied insects, especially cater- 

 pillars, but that the same kind of food is carried to the young 

 of many of the finches and other hard-billed birds, which in their 

 adult stages subsist very largely on a seed and grain diet. 

 The most valuable information obtained on this subject is that 

 which is embodied in the Field Notes on the Starling (Nos. 397a- 

 405), from which we gather that during a period of seventeen 

 hours no less than 269 insects of the injurious group were fed 

 to the young, against 4 only that belonged to the beneficial 

 group. To my mind this is a most convincing proof of the 

 great services which this bird renders to agriculture in Cheshire 

 and elsewhere. The difficulties attending such exact observa- 

 tions in the held are, however, very great ; and it is rarely that 



* I beg al?o to acknowledge the kind assistance rendered by my colleague, 

 Dr. J. W. W. Stephens, for reading through the final proof of this paper during my 

 absence in Jamaica. — R. N. 



