46 



THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



The food consists mainly of insects, their eggs, larvae and pupse, 

 but at times of Conifer seeds, acorns, beech-mast, nuts and the like; 

 while in winter a suspended meat bone, fat, or crumbs prove great 

 attractions. No doubt a certain amount of fruit is eaten in summer 

 and buds are plucked in spring, but the latter commonly contain 

 injurious grubs. E. B. C. N. S., 540. The commoner species are 

 very partial to coconut at all times of the year if given to them. 



31. l*arus atriceps. Indian Grey Tit. 



Various insects and seeds. Jerd. B. I., II, 278. 



Stomachs examined : 



2-2-09. 15 Weevils (much broken). 



2-2-09. 2 Myllocerus discolor. 



18 Small Coleoptera. 



1 Bud and some vegetable matter. 

 10-2-08. 3 Myllocerus sp. 



2 Drasterius sp. 



5 Small Elaterids. 

 15-2-07. 4 Small Weevils. 



5 Tineid caterpillars. 

 1 Hemipteron (scutellum.) 

 13 Pentatomid eggs : (Coptosoma sp. ?). 

 8-3-09. 1 Weevil. 



Some broken buds. 

 20-5-08. 1 Tanymecus sp. 



3 Small weevils. 



3 Small caterpillars. 

 10-6-08. 5 Small weevils. 



1 Flea-beetle (Halticince). 



3 Buds and some other vegetable matter. 



1 Piece of bark. 

 19_7_08. 5 Small weevils (Cryptorhynchinoe). 



1 Camponotus compressus. 



1 Polyrachis simplex. 

 103 Pentatomid eggs. 

 20-7-08. 1 (Ecophylla smaragdina. 



12 Tanymecus sp. arid other weevils. 



1 Small Elaterid. 



1 Bud. 

 31-10-08. 2 Balaninus sp. 



8 Myllocerus sp. and other weevils. 



2 Small caterpillars. 



1 Hemipteron (scutellum.) 



Summary. Of 219 insects taken by 10 birds, are beneficial, 

 i 1-8 are neutral and 71 injurious. Seven took neutral and 10 

 :ii ur'.ous insects. Three birds took vegetable matter. 



