5 8 



392. Male ; Northwich, Cheshire ; 8th September, 1903. — 

 Chiefly dung-feeding beetles (Aphodius fimetarius, A. con- 

 taminatus, &c.) ; two grains of undressed wheat ; a few short 

 blades of grass. 



393. Immature ; Hartford, Cheshire ; 12th September, 1903. — 

 Chiefly remains of Daddy Long Legs (Tipula sp.) ; several dung- 

 feeding beetles [Aphodius spp.). 



394. Male ; Skerries, Anglesey ; 30th October, 1900. — Many 

 oat glumes (? from horse droppings) ; remains of the dung 

 beetle Aphodius fossor. 



395. 396. 2 Males ; Christleton, Chester ; 2$th November, 

 1904. — Both examples filled with equal proportions of vegetable 

 matter and insects ; the former consisted of wheat and oat 

 glumes and one complete grain of the oat, the insects chiefly 

 small Dipterous maggots (Homalomyia sp.) ;i 1 Notiofchilus 

 biguttatus and remains of other Geodephagous beetles ; several 

 weevils (Sitones sp.). There were also a few molluscs (Zonites 

 sp.). 



397. ? Sex ; near Chester ; 30th November, 1904. — 1 surface 

 caterpillar (? Tryphaena) ; 104 small larvae of Dipterous flies 

 (4 Stratomyidae, 100 Muscidae) ; 2 grains of wheat ; 1 land shell 

 (Pisidium sp.). 



Summary. — 11 contained insects of the injurious group ; 5, 

 beneficial group ; 7, indifferent group ; 5, wheat ; 2 oats ; 4, 

 molluscs ; 5, grass. 



Field Notes.* — 397A. Food of 3 Nestling Young; Chester; 

 22nd-2yth May, 1908. — Chiefly earthworms and larvae of the 

 Crane Fly (Tipula oleracea), with an occasional caterpillar. 

 These observations were made for very short periods in the 

 mornings and evenings, when 25 visits were made to the young. 



398. 30th May. — During 55 consecutive minutes 20 visits 

 were made to the young. The food was recognised in 13 

 instances, and consisted of the following : — 



18 full-fed caterpillars of large Noctuid moths of three distinct 

 species, Triphaena pronuba being the only species 

 recognised ; 4 wireworms (Agrotis sp.) ; 1 larva of crane 

 fly ; 1 lot of moist bread. 



* The notes Nos. 397A-405, inclusive, were made on a single brood of young 

 starlings in the suburbs of Chester within a short distance of cultivated fields and 

 pastures. 



