36 THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDli. 



and oats more than other crops, but they will also eat wheat, bar- 

 ley, linseed, juar, and no doubt all cereal crops suffer to some ex. 

 tent, and perhaps pulses. The greatest amount of damage is done 

 however soon after planting, when the crow will dig or pull up oats 

 and wheat, as a rule just as the seeds are germinating ; and again 

 when young cereals are coming above ground, crows pull up and eat 

 the young plants. They do not, as a general rule, pull up the plants 

 to get at insects damaging those plants. If they did, they would 

 scarcely be likely to eat the plants, on not finding insects. Insects 

 are no doubt taken if found under these circumstances. A consi- 

 derable amount of grain eaten by crows is picked up in farmyards, 

 and from among cattle food round stables. Some also is undoubted- 

 ly taken from cattle dung, together with dung beetles (Scarabceidce) 

 of various kinds. A considerable number of wild grass and other 

 weed seeds are taken, and also leaves and weeds including fumitory 

 (Fumaria parviflora). Crows seem to delight at times in pulling 

 up garden plants, sweet peas, &c., and it is said, in picking flowers. 

 ' It is needless to say that they scrape up and eat newly 

 sown seeds." (Dewar, B. P.). Crows rob chillies spread on the 

 house roofs to dry. (B. N. H. S. J., XIII, 622). I have seen this 

 on several occasions, but do not know whether the crow eats them, 

 or simply takes them because of their bright colour. 



With regard to their insect food, crows do not seem to have 

 such a varied diet as one would expect. Being omnivorous, they 

 can always obtain food in abundance anywhere, and therefore it is 

 hardly to be wondered at that they do not feed much on insects as 

 a general rule. If a flight of winged Termites takes place, as a rule, 

 but by no means always, crows will be there catching the insects 

 on the wing, together with numerous other birds, King crows, Kites, 

 Rollers, Bee-eaters, Doves, &c., and as Jerdon remarks " mayhap 

 bats" (Jerd. B. I., II, 299). Swarms of locusts are nearly always 

 accompanied by crows as well as the Rosy Pastor, and they destroy 

 large numbers of these insects. And again, we have several records 

 where crows have destroyed large numbers of swarming caterpillars 

 (C. P. &E. B. & A.). 



