134 
Ediiorial. 
me to the conclusion that providing they have been well scoured, 
these larvae are a safe article of diet for adult birds of all species, 
and also for those with young, which feed from the crop, or 
habitually kill their live food before swallowing ; but that for 
such species as supply such food alive to their young they are 
unsafe and very probably the cause of the loss of many promising 
fledgelings. I consider the matter well worth consideration, and 
hope that those of our members who use these larvae, will record 
their experience and also take observation of results if they have 
not already done so. 
I wish to draw attention to the following facts : — In last 
issue I recorded the failure of the attempt of my Grey- winged 
Ouzels to reproduce their kind in captivity. In the interval a 
second brood has been hatched, one young bird reaching the age 
of nine da3's, the other disappeared on the second day ; it was 
very strong and lusty and I had great hopes of its being success- 
fully reared. Owing to the kindness of our esteemed member, 
Mr. R. Suggitt, I received a supply of well scoured gentles to 
assist towards this end ; these were supplied to the birds on the 
evening of the third day, and all went well up to the end of the 
eighth day, when I formed the conclusion that the nestling was 
not calling so lustily when feeding time came round, and tliis was 
more apparent the next day for I scarcely heard it at all, though 
I saw the hen bird feed, or attempt to do so, more than once. On 
the morning of the tenth day, neither of tlie parents being near 
the nest, I put my hand in, and finding the fledgeling quite cold, 
removed it from the nest and found its crop and throat full of 
live gentles. The parents were most assiduous in feeding their 
young, and it is quite possible that they fed after the digestive 
organs had ceased to act from some unknown cause, but the facts 
are these : — When I examined the body the throat of the fledge- 
ling was full of live gentles, with their jaws stained red, feeding 
on the interior of the mouth and throat; as to whether the)'^ were 
the actual cause of death I cannot say, but it seems very probable 
that such was the case. 
The Ouzels do not kill their live food before swallowing, 
except in such cases as large earthworms, and the maggots 
having been dropped alive into the youngsters throat had crawled 
