MASON AND LEFBOY. 5 



ftcally such information is practically valueless, and for all practi- 

 cal purposes can only be used as a doubtful basis for future work on 

 the subject. But it must always be remembered that field observa- 

 tions, if first hand and made by capable men, are invaluable as 

 a supplement to laboratory examination and determination of 

 stomach contents of birds, and should be recorded whenever pos- 

 sible, however vague and useless they may appear. 



In India, at present practically nothing is known about what 

 birds do eat. From the economic point of view, the scientific iden- 

 tification of birds' food is of the utmost importance, and espe- 

 cially with regard to the insect portion. Economic Ornithology 

 is, therefore, a sister science to Economic Entomology, just as much 

 or perhaps even more so than Botany. 



To aid agricultural interests, nature is called in practically 

 and artificially, and every effort should be made to use such helps 

 from every possible source. Wild birds are the source in question 

 here. We should therefore know the value of every separate 

 species of bird to man, i.e., know what insects, what seeds, what 

 fruits and other vegetable and animal materials are taken as food 

 by birds at all times of the year under all conditions, climatic and 

 physical. We can then, by encouragement of useful species and 

 destruction of harmful ones, check the attacks of insects on crops, 

 and enable the country to increase crop outturns, and in every 

 \v-iy benefit agricultural and therefore the country's interests. 



