the Rook, Starling and Chaffinch. 
53 
supply of insects falls short (as it does during the winter months), 
a good deal of grain and other food is taken. 
II. — FOOD OF THE STARLING. 
Animal Food. 
(a) Insects. — The greater portion of the animal food consisted of 
insects, which were recorded in 444 cases. 
Coleoptera. — In 363 cases beetles or their larvae were present, 
“ weevils ” being found in 260 instances, and in 130 cases 
“ wireworms " or their adults were present. 
Lepidoptera were found in 121 cases, and consisted almost entirely 
of larvae (caterpillars), particularly those of the Large Yellow 
Underwing Moth ( Triphcena pronuba) ; pupae occurred twice. 
Diptera occurred 316 times, all stages being represented, but the 
larval form (leather-jackets) of the crane-flies ( Tipulidee ) were 
predominant, being present in 213 instances. 
Hymenoptera occurred 35 times ; ants being present in 29 cases (the 
number of specimens was 102) ; 1 bee was found and 2 pupae of 
saw-fly occurred in one crop. 
Orthoptera occurred 32 times, and of these earwigs were found 31 
times and a young grasshopper once. 
Hemiptera occurred 4 times ; Cercopidae " frog-hoppers ” occurred 
3 times and Aphides once (1 green fly). 
( b ) Mollnsca. — The total number of cases in which Molluscs have 
occurred is 328 ; this includes slugs 4 times (probably Agriolimax). 
(c) Arachnida. — -The total number of cases in which Arachnids have 
occurred is 83 ; these were all spiders, 1 of which was a red spider 
[Tetrany chus sp.) ; mites occurred once. 
(d) Vermes.— Remains of earthworms (including setes 5 times) 
occurred in 6 instances ; earth-worm cocoons were found in 22 cases ; 
Nematode worms occurred 6 times. 
(e) Myriapoda occurred 33 times ; centipedes were found in 6 cases 
and millepedes in 25. 
(/) Crustacea , Amphipods. — Gammarus pulex occurred twice ; wood- 
lice were found twice. 
(, g ) Other Animal Matter. — In 6 cases bones (unrecognisable) were 
found and in 5 instances pieces of egg-shell (generally fowl’s) were 
present. 
Vegetable Food. 
Grain. — The greater part of the vegetable food consisted of grain, 
which was found in 161 cases. As in the case of the rook, oats were 
in greatest abundance and were recorded in 66 instances ; wheat 
occurred 41 times, barley 40 times, maize twice, and buckwheat and 
black-oats each once. 
Seeds other than Grain. — Seeds occurred in 78 cases ; these included 
such seeds as the following : — Ranunculus, Charlock ( Sinapis arvensis), 
Clover (Tri folium sp.), Chickweed ( Stellaria media), Blackberry (Rubus 
fructicosus ), Elder ( Sambucus nigra), Dock ( Rumex sp.), Knotgrass 
(. Polygonum aviculare), Spurrey ( Spergula arvensis), and grass seeds 
( Graminecs ). 
Fruit. — Remains of fruit, consisting chiefly of the pulp and skins of 
elder berries, were found in 14 cases ; fragments of crab-apple occurred 
