Editorial. 
135 
back again, as there were none present in the nest, only i-n the 
throat of the fledgeling. 
I have used living gentles before on many occasions, but 
it has been with such species that either feed from the crop or 
kill their live food before swallowing, and there has been no 
harmful effect ; neither have I found any ill effects from using 
these larvae with adult birds, though I did have a Chinese Quail 
which almost lived on mealworms, all of which he swallowed 
alive, die somewhat suddenly after a period of screaming : two 
hours after its death mealworms crawled out from the eye and 
ear apertures. 
In response to my enquiries as to his experience with live 
gentles. Air. Teschemaker replies as follows : — 
" I have always been rather suspicious of them, because I have 
found them alive in the crop of nestlings twenty minutes 
after feeding; still I certainly reared one nest of Virginian 
Cardinals on gentles alone, and I have hand reared Stone- 
chats and Ring Ouzels on gentles and an ordinary soft food 
mixture." 
While, as already intimated, the evidence cannot as yet be con- 
sidered conclusive either one way or the other, yet it appears that 
it would be a wise precaution to first kill gentles by sudden 
immersion in boiling water or some other speedy means just 
before supplying to the birds. 
I hope very many of our members will respond and place 
on record their experience on this topic, as such will certainly be 
profitable, practical and interesting. 
The successful Breeding of Insectivorous Species 
IN Captivity : Recently we have seen it stated that the young 
of such species can be successfully reared without an unlimited 
supply of live food. So far as my experience goes this is not 
in accordance with the weight of evidence. Take my recent 
failures with the Grey-winged Ouzels: in the enclosure they 
occupied food was in sufficient variety to keep the insectivora, 
granivora and frugivora in health and vigour, yet this did not 
suffice, and I failed because my business engagements did 7iot 
permit me to be on hand every hour to supply live food. The general 
experience of large aviarists who attempt to breed the insectivora 
