220 



SOME SOUTH INDIAN INSECTS, ETC. [CHAP. XXIII. 



Mosl bats are ol course well known to be insectivorous and may 



ic be considered as beneficial, destroying vast quantities 



of insects, especially noctuid moths. A few species, however, are 



carnivorous, at least sometimes, and amongst such we may note 

 especially the Indian Vampire ( Lyroderma lyra) which catches and 

 devours small birds, other li.it-. and frogs, as well as insects. 



Various Shrews, often contused with field-rats but distinguishable 

 by their long pointed snout and small eyes, occur commonly and 

 frequently enter houses at night in search of insects which form 

 their main food. They are useful little animals which deserve 

 encouragement. 



I i.,. 98. Su lawed by Jackals. (From an original photo-) 



Bears live mostly on fruit- and insects, especially on termites 

 whose mounds are clawed Open and the inmates sucked up. The 

 only species found in Southern India is the Sloth-Bear (Melursus 



itrsittusj, which sometimes does damage to crops, such as cereals 

 and pulses and especially sugarcane. Toddy-pots also are some- 

 times robbed of their contents by this animal, which also plunders 



