26 
Report on the Food Found in 
year 392 birds had devoured 608 of these harmful larvae and 
264 Wireworms and Click Beetles in their single meals. During 
the same period they had eaten 854 grains of wheat, barley 
and oats, and 374 harmful mollusca. Collectively they had 
destroyed 2,237 harmful Arthropods, other animals and plant 
seeds and only 1,022 beneficial organisms. Thus, speaking 
generally, we may say that the starlings were actively 
beneficial for at least 10 months out of the 12 in 1912. 
* 9 * 3 - 
January. — Twenty-two birds were received. These contained the 
following : — 12 Leather Jackets ( Tipula oleracea ) ; 1 Wireworm 
( Agriotes ) ; 2 Carabid larval skins [Har pains ? ) ; 3 Ground Beetles 
(Harpalus ruficornis) ; 8 Pea and Bean Weevils ( Sitones lineata) ; 1 
Barynotus Weevil ( Barynotus obscurus) ; 1 Flea Beetle ( Phyllotreta 
undnlata ) ; 13 Dung Beetles ( Aphodius sp., wing cases)* ; 1 Hypera 
Weevil ( Hypera punctata ) ; 2 Rove Beetles ( Staphylinidce )* ; 1 beetle 
(Bembidium obtusum, Sturm) f ; 2 Dark Arches Moth larvae ( Xylo - 
phasia polyodon) ; 2 Stratyomid larvae ( Pachygaster sp.) ; 2 Stratyo- 
mid larvae ( Sargus sp.), and 25 other Stratyomid larvae; 2 Leptid 
larvae ( Leptus sp. ? ) ; 11 Muscid type larvae ( Hylemyia sp. ? ) ; 1 
Dipterous puparium ; 6 Noctuid larvae (? Agrotis segetis) ; 1 Lepidop- 
terous pupa ; 1 Dipteron wing sp. ? ; 3 Earwigs (. Forficula auricularia ) ; 
1 Brown Scale ( Lecanium caprece ) ; 1 Millepede (Julus sp. ? ) ; 4 Centi- 
pedes ( Geophilus longicornis)* ; 8 Spiders*; 1 Wood Louse (Oniscus 
ascellus ) ; 52 Mollusca (33 injurious), including 13 Hairy Snails 
(Hygromia hispida ), 7 Strawberry Snails ( Hygromia rufescens), 10 
Banded Snails (Helicella caperata), 3 Pyraniidula rotundata, 5 
Vallonia pulchella, and 3 Vallonia nitidula (the last 3 species being 
neutrals) ; 6 Twist Snails ( Cochlicopa lubrica), 2 Snails ( Vertigo sp. ? ), 
and 3 Slug’s eggs. In all 17 oats were found and 4 barley grains. Grass 
was found in 6 birds. In 1 was some straw, in another decayed 
vegetal matter ; Cro \^3 Foot leaves were found in 1, and beetle debris, 
which was unidentifiable, in 7. 
One bird shot at Wye contained 4 shells of the Periwinkle ( Littorina 
litorcea), a small crab’s leg, and pieces of seaweed with Polyzoa. This 
bird must have been feeding some miles away on the sea shore. 
February. — The number of birds received was 59, three of which 
were quite empty. The rest contained the following insects, etc. : — ■ 
82 Leather Jackets ( Tipula oleracea) ; 33 Wireworms ( Agriotes ) ; 14 
Click Beetles ( Agriotes lineata and A. sputator) ; 12 Carabid 
larvae* ; 10 Pea and Bean Weevils ( Sitones lineata) ; 28 Clover 
Weevils ( Sitones flavescens) ; 6 Hispid Weevils ( Sitones hispidula) ; 
2 Sitones sulcifrons ; 9 Hypera Weevils [Hypera punctata 6 ; H.nigri- 
rostris, Linn. 2 ; H. plantaginis , De Geer. 1) ; 3 Barynotus Weevils 
( Barynotus obscurus) ; 1 Cockchafer grub ( Melolontha vulgaris) ; 1 
Ground Beetle [Pterostichus cupreus, Linn.)* ; 14 Dung Beetles (9 
Aphodius sp. ? ; 3 A. fossor , Linn. ; 1 A. punctato sulcatus, Sturm. ; 
1 A. grananus)* ; also specimens of the following beetles 1 Philon- 
thus varius, Gyll.f ; 1 Stenus fassalis, Linn. ; 2 Rhinoncus pericarpius, 
Linn.f ; 2 Helophorus aquations, Linn.f ; 3 Lathrobium fulvipenne , 
Linn.f ; 1 Tachyporus hypnorum , Fabi.j ; 1 Ocypus cupreus , Rossi.* ; 
1 Chrysomella staphylea , Linn.f ; 1 Quedius rufipes, Grav.* ; 1 Q. fustis, 
f These are probably harmful species. 
