18 THE FOOD OP BIRDS IN INDIA. 



spirit. The stomachs too become hard, and there is therefore i 

 greater risk of breaking the contents when the stomachs are cut 

 open. 



It will be noticed that in many instances in the records the 

 following kind of note is made after many insects of which as a rule 

 only the family or sub-family is stated (Pusa No. 25). This number 

 refers to the number of the insect in the Pusa collection, the name 

 having as yet not been definitely determined. In the case of some 

 of the seeds unidentified, numbers are also placed against them 

 referring to seeds I have numbered and put up in a reference collec- 

 tion of seeds taken from birds, the collection beirg ?.t present in 

 the laboratory of the Imperial Ertomologist. 



In recording the materials forming the food fourd ir. the 

 stomachs I have examined, the number of insects of each species, 

 the number of seeds, etc., has been recorded as nearly correctly as 

 possible. Every insect ond part of an insect or other food 

 material found in the contents must be carefully examined in orderto 

 determine the species if possible and therefore there is no extra 

 work entailed or time spent in making these tables ; we have too the 

 total contents of the stomachs in a tabular form, which may be of 

 use to anyone who has not the same ideas as to the economic im- 

 portance of the insect food as is here stated. 



I have made no statements in a general way as to the relative 

 bulks of the food taken. We see it stated repeatedly that relative 

 bulks of food taken by birds are very important in any conclusion 

 that we may wish to draw from ecoromic entomology. This is ?n 

 extremely difficult point to settle and can only be obtained after 

 the most careful study of the question. From stomach examina- 

 tions in the laboratory we can learn very little indeed about 

 proportion in which the foods are taken, and our only method for ob- 

 taining this end practically consists of a complete study of the food 

 of the birds, from specimens obtained throughout the year under all 

 climatic, physical and seasonal conditions and even at different 

 times during the day (this latter point is certainly one of importance 

 n so me birds and possibly therefore in most). When we have these 



