8 
Report on the Food Found in 
a straight line from the sea. Another unfortunate feature is 
the absence of records of the food of the nestlings, a very 
important point in deciding whether any particular bird is 
harmful or beneficial to the agriculturist and horticulturist, 
The results given in this report are merely a record of what 
the writers have found in the birds in question. The 
organisms have roughly been divided into harmful, beneficial, 
and neutral in the monthly tabular statements for each year. 
How the proportion of these varies from time to time, even in 
a little over 2 years, can easily be seen from the tables. 
Few birds have been received from the coast districts and it 
may be taken generally that the food recorded is for inland 
localities. By analysing the food of the birds from certain 
districts nothing definite was found out. In fact it appears 
that much the same organisms are found in birds in all localities. 
For instance, the Raspberry Weevil (Otiorhynchus picipes) has 
been found in birds far from fruit-growing districts, and just 
as many Leather Jackets, Sitones, etc., have been found in 
birds from areas where fruit is prominent as from areas where 
little or no fruit is grown. In fact, certain food is taken by the 
birds, and this generally consists of widely-spread insects, seeds 
and other organisms. 
An investigation of the food found in birds can only show 
part of what they eat, for such things as cherries (pulp only), 
spinach, turnip, cabbage and other leaves cannot always be 
identified satisfactorily, and large numbers of insects eaten by 
them are so damaged that identification is quite impossible. 
In the chaffinch many seeds that are eaten are shelled first and 
no one can safely say what they are. Some general ideas may, 
however, be gained. The opinions expressed in this report 
are based, not on the actual food of the birds, but on the 
identifiable organisms found in them. 
It has been particularly difficult to get rooks sent in regu- 
larly. Some correspondents would not send them at all, as 
they considered them to be far too beneficial. It will be seen, 
however, from the tables giving the gizzard contents of the 
rooks examined that this statement is not by any means borne 
out, for the rook is thereby shown to be very harmful. On the 
other hand the starling has been shown to be most helpful. In 
regard to the chaffinch the writers do not feel entitled to 
express a definite opinion. 
Number of Specimens received. — -From January, 1912, 
to the end of May, 1914, 1,552 birds were received 
