MASON AND LEFROY. 15 



balanced. Impartiality, not personal opinion, is essential. Person- 

 al opinions can but apply to very local conditons in most cases, 

 and must be avoided. All sentimental ideas about protection of 

 beautiful species or song birds must be totally ignored. It must 

 always be borne in mind, however, that in no case do we wish to 

 see any one species totally exterminated. 



In all probability, when we know enough about the food of 

 birds, it will be found that comparatively few can be considered as 

 actually beneficial or harmful ; by far the greater number comirg 

 under a neutral heading. Many will be found to do damage to crops, 

 fruits, etc., locally only, and so to need local check and not a gene- 

 ral one. Even this classification may, however, need modification 

 under different local conditions. It is, therefore, exceedingly diffi- 

 cult to state anything definite about birds which can apply generally 

 throughout India. We can certainly advise nothing until we have 

 sufficient information from all the chief districts in India. 



The whole question of economic ornithology is, at present, a 

 very doubtful one. It may be that in countries where no pro- 

 tection exists and where birds of all kinds are ruthlessly persecuted, 

 we hear of no more insect plagues than in countries which afford 

 protection to some of these birds. This may perhaps hold good 

 in a temperate climate. I believe this does not apply in the least 



to India and other hot climates, where insect life is so abundant 







and where it can and does increase so abnormally under certain 

 conditions. 



In the study of the food of birds, mention must be made of 

 caged birds. Of birds kept under these conditions little, if any, 

 information of value can be obtained, so long as the food has to be 

 provided for these birds. If we know what the food of a certain 

 species is in the wild state, we can then by caging some birds of this 

 species form a vague idea of the proportion of, and preference shown 

 for, certain kinds of food ; we can get very little real idea as to the 

 quantity. If the natural food is but vaguely known we learn prac 

 tically nothing by this method. The only real application of this 

 method of any value and it is of great value when possible for 



