42 
Report ox the Food Found in 
October. — During this month in 5 birds were found : — 7 Black Fly 
{'Ihnps sp. ? ) ; 3 Oak Aphides (Callipterus quercus) ; 1 Earwig ( Forficula 
auriculana) ; and 2 neutral mollusca ( V allonia pulchella ) and fragments 
of beetles in 1 bird. Grit was present in all 5 ; pieces of leaves in 2, and 
moss in 1. 
November. — The 5 birds contained : — 7 Pea and Bean Weevils 
[Sitones Imeata) ; 3 Stratyomid larvae ; 10 grains of wheat ; 10 Charlock 
seeds ( Brassica sinapis). All 5 also had much grit in them. 
December. — In 3 birds examined this month no trace was found of 
any animal matter, but 10 Charlock seeds ( Sinapis arvensis) ; 24 of 
Knotgrass ( Polygonum avicnlare ) ; 7 of Chickweed ( Stellaria media), 
and 11 of Groundsel, also 7 wheat grains and much vegetal debris. 
The Chaffinch. 
Monthly Summary , 1912. 
Month. 
Harmful 
Insects. 
Harmful 
Arachnids. 
Harmful 
Myriapoda. 
Harmful 
Crustacea. 
Harmful 
Mollusca. 
Harmful 
Plants. 
Beneficial 
Insects. 
Beneficial 
Arachnids. 
Beneficial 
Myriapoda. 
Beneficial 
Crustacea. 
Beneficial 
Mollusca. 
Grain and 
Ben. Seeds. 
Neutrals. 
Number oi 
Birds. 
January . . 
2 
O 
O 
O 
O 
34 
O 
O 
O 
O 
0 
15 
0 
5 
February 
59 
O 
O 
0 
O 
6 
O 
I 
O 
O 
49 
I 
52 
March . . 
O 
0 
0 
O 
17 
0 
O 
0 
0 
0 
39 
0 
25 
April 
7 
O 
O 
0 
O 
55 
0 
O 
O 
0 
0 
5 
2 
82 
May 
65 
O 
O 
O 
3 
24 
0 
O 
O 
O 
O 
1 
3 
64 
June 
■5 
O 
P 
0 
0 
0 
0 
2 
O 
0 
O 
0 
0 
19 
July 
O 
O 
O 
0 
O 
0 
0 
O 
O 
O 
O 
0 
16 
August . . 
29 
O 
O 
O 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
O 
O 
6 
0 
7 
September 
25 
O 
O 
O 
0 
14 
1 
0 
0 
O 
0 
15 
0 
3 
October 
1 1 
O 
O 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
O 
0 
0 
0 
2 
. 5 
November 
7 
O 
O 
0 
0 
10 
0 
b 
0 
O 
O 
10 
3 
5 
December 
0 
O 
O 
O 
0 
52 
0 
0 
O 
0 
0 
! 7 
O 
3 
Total . . 
251 
O 
O 
O 
3 
3i 1 
7 
2 
I 
O 
O 
H7 
11 
286 
Summary, 1912. 
From January to December. 1912, 286 chaffinches were found 
to have devoured 565 harmful organisms, including insects, 
mollusca and seeds, and J 57 beneficial ones including insects, 
grain and seed, leaving a balance of 404 harmful organisms. 
The main food taken in January was composed of grain and 
weed seeds. From February to April it consisted of weed seeds 
and many insects, with some grain. In June, July, August, 
September and October it consisted mainly of insects, and then 
in November and December seed eating commenced again. 
