62 



which they were found to contain. Whether these larvae were 

 feeding on the young wheat plants I was not able to ascertain ; 

 it is highly probable, however, that they were subsisting upon 

 the manure or some other form of decaying vegetable matter 

 in the soil surrounding the roots of the plants. 



Destroying Cherries. — When cherries ripen the Starling 

 displays a certain partiality for this fruit. Two instances 

 have come under my own personal observation in Cheshire ; 

 but the habit, so far as my experience goes, is not general in 

 this county. In Gloucestershire, however, the habit is more 

 general ; but so far as I am aware this is the only direction in 

 which they levy toll for their great service to agriculture. 



Swift (Cypselus apus (Linn.). 



407, 408. 2 ? Sex ; Chester ; 2jth May, 1891 ; found 

 dead. — [a) Portions of 3 or 4 Staphylinid beetles (Philonthus sp., 

 Quedius sp.) ; remains of 3 small Dipterous flies, (b) Com- 

 pletely empty. 



409. ? Sex ; near Chester ;. 2§th June, 1894. — Several dung 

 beetles (Aphodius merdarius) ; 3 small Dipterous flies. 



410. Male ; Chester ; 30th June, 1893. — Chiefly Dipterous 

 flies (Muscidae, &c.) ; 4 brachelytrous beetles (Philonthus 

 ? politus, Quedius ? tristis, Xantholinus glabratus) . 



411-414. 4 Nestlings (feathered) ; Chester ; 30th June, 1893. — 

 Three forms of the Coccinellid beetle (Coccinella 10-punctata 

 (= variabilis) ; several Dipterous flies (Muscidae, &c.) ; 1 

 Yellow Underwing Moth (Triphaena pronuba), found living in 

 the nest but much mutilated. 



415. Female (Parent of the young recorded above) ; Chester ; 

 30th June, 1893. — 2 Coccinellid beetles (Hippodamia mutabilis) ; 

 a large number of small frog-hoppers (Cicadas) ; 2 small 

 brachelytrous beetles ; several small beetles of the genus 

 Cryptophagus. 



Summary. — 3 contained insects of the injurious group ; 7, 

 beneficial group ; 3, indifferent group. 



Field Notes. — 416. Plumed Gnats. — Towards the end of 

 May, 1894, between 40 to 50 of these birds were busily engaged 

 in capturing Plumed Gnats (Chironomus sp.) which were 

 dancing in myriads over a thorn fence near the River Dee, 

 Chester. There can be no possible doubt that the birds had 



