30 THE POOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



4. Corvus macrorhynchus, Jungle Crow. contd. 



A vast amount of other matter probably remains of caterpillars, 



which it was feeding on when shot. 

 Sept. and Oct. 07. 

 10 Specimens. 



301 Maize seeds. 

 7 Frogs. 

 2 Lizards. 

 , 31 Weevils Astycus sp., Myllocerus sp. 



A large proportion of young wheat and oat blades amongst the 



other vegetable matter. 



A large proportion of the maize was obtained otherwise than in 

 the field. 



Summary. Of 65 insects taken by 33 birds, none are beneficial, 

 40 injurious and 25 neutral. 14 birds took injurious and 6 neutral 

 insects. 



Worms were taken by 2, lizards by 2, frogs by 8, and centipedes 

 by 3. 



Vegetable food was far in excess of the animal. Oats were 

 taken by 6, wheat by 1, maize by 11, Ficus fruit by 3 and ber 

 (Zizyphus jujubd) by one, Bombax flower by 4 ; all contained vege- 

 table matter. 



Of the feeding habits of this crow Jerdon B. I., II, 296 

 remarks : "It is gregarious ; feeds onofTal and carrion. It is often 

 the first to discover the carcase of any dead animal. Like the rest 

 of its tribe, however, it will partake of any kind of food, arid Sunde- 

 vall said that he found nothing but larvae and butterflies in those he 

 examined. 



It is very destructive in some places to young chickens, pigeons, 

 &c., and I am informed, will occasionally destroy a young kid. 

 It also pilfers the eggs and the nestlings of many birds ; on which 

 account the King Crow (D. macrurus] pursues it more relentlessly 

 than it does the common crow.'* 



Crows feeding on the carcase of a dead camel. .. .2 or 3, if not 

 all, of these, were Jungle Crows. But possibly there were some 

 carrion crows among them. B. N. H. S. J.. 19. 358. 



Little can be said of the Jungle Crow that does not equally 

 apply to the house crow. The Jungle Crow, however, is not "quite 



