37 



172. Female ; Aldford, Chester ; 22nd March, 1894. — Chiefly 

 beetles (Notiophilus biguttatus and a few specimens of 

 Anchomenus sp.) ; fragments of cinders and bricks ; vegetable 

 fibres. 



173. Male ; Aldford, Chester ; 22nd March, 1894. — Chiefly 

 beetles {Helophorus aquaticus, many ; weevils, a few) ; 

 vegetable fibre ; fragments of cinders and brick. 



174. Male ; Ince, Chester ; 25th April, 1894. — Filled entirely 

 with fragments of Diptera (Bibionidae, &c). 



175. Male ; Ince, Chester ; April, 1894. — Almost entirely of 

 fragments of Dipterous flies (Bibionidae, &c). 



176. Male ; Cheshire ; May, 1900. — Fragments of 2 Water 

 Boatmen (Notonecta glauca) ; fragments of Geodephagous 

 beetles. 



177. Male ; Aldford, Chester ; 15th June, 1894.-7 moth 

 larvae (Tortricidae) ; fragments of weevils. 



Summary. — 2 contained insects of the injurious group/; 3, 

 beneficial group ; 4, indifferent group ; 1, vegetable matter. 



Field Notes. — I have nothing of a definite nature to offer in 

 regard to its dietary apart from the records given above ; but 

 anyone who has watched this bird in its various haunts during 

 the summer months must have been struck by its persistent 

 habit of catching small flies either upon the wing or when at 

 rest ; and by the fact that it may frequently be seen among 

 grazing cattle, swiftly chasing any insects which the animals 

 may disturb. So far as one can gather, the insects are relatively 

 small flies belonging to the Diptera,* but whether they attack 

 any of the larger Muscids, which are such pests to cattle in 

 hot weather, I have not been able to ascertain ; there were no 

 traces of the remains of these insects in the examples examined. 

 In winter, when winged insects are scarce, beetles are evidently 

 sought for and probably form the principal food of this bird, 

 and possibly also of the Grey Wagtail. 



Grey Wagtail (Motacilla menalope, Pallas). 



178. Male ; Ince, Chester ; 22nd January, 1894. — Filled with 

 unusually small fragments of beetles (Geodophaga and Rhyn- 

 chophora). 



* A female examined during the month of August, 1908, had its stomach filled 

 with fragments of a small syrphid fly and Muscid larvae. — R. N. 



