The journal of the Ministry of Agriculture. . ola, L.) 50 June Chafer [Rhizotrogus , L.) 45 Dung Beetles [Geotrupes sp.) I 5 Remains of Beetles (not identifiable) .. • 16-5 Crane Fly [Tipula oleracea, L.) 55 Remains of other Dipterous Flies 75 100 O A summary of these figures shows that of the total bulk offood consumed ffom May to September 88 per cent, consists 3 X 994 The Food of the Nightjar. [JAN., of insects harmful to agriculture, while 12 per cent, consists ofinsects of a neutral character (see Figure). Little need be said as to the harmful insects. All are commonand widely
The journal of the Ministry of Agriculture. . ola, L.) 50 June Chafer [Rhizotrogus , L.) 45 Dung Beetles [Geotrupes sp.) I 5 Remains of Beetles (not identifiable) .. • 16-5 Crane Fly [Tipula oleracea, L.) 55 Remains of other Dipterous Flies 75 100 O A summary of these figures shows that of the total bulk offood consumed ffom May to September 88 per cent, consists 3 X 994 The Food of the Nightjar. [JAN., of insects harmful to agriculture, while 12 per cent, consists ofinsects of a neutral character (see Figure). Little need be said as to the harmful insects. All are commonand widely distributed species, and amongst the most injuriouspests with which the farmer and fruit-grower hav3 to , , the Cockchafer, May Beetle, and June Chafer, areexceed ngly difficult to deal with, especially when attackinga large acreage of crops, and were it not for the good officesof the Nightjar and a few other wild birds there is little doubtbut that the losses occasioned by these insects would be of avery serious Diagrammatic Representation of the Percentages of Foodof the Nightjar. The actual number of insects destroyed is very difficult toestimate, but it may be of interest to cite the stomach contentsin a few cases. In one bird, shot in the early morning in July,remains of 15 June Chafers, 67 Garden Swift Moths, 40 TurnipDart Moths, and 8 Great Yellow Underwing Moths were presentin the stomach. In a specimen shot in August, about 10 ,the stomach contained remains of 163 Crane Flies, in additionto fragments of nimierous moths and beetles* 1920.] The Warble Fly. 995 From long observation of the Nightjar and its habits webelieve that it is very uncommon for this bird to feed duringthe day-time, although a few instances of day-time feedingare on record ; nevertheless, the amount of food it takes fromsunset to sunrise must be considerable. Digestion, we know,is fairly rapid, but in all the 62 birds examined there was onlyone of which the stomach wa
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
