MASON AND LEFEOY. 77 



turned out of rubbish or picked up during cultivation operations. 

 No doubt, many more imagines of lepidoptera are taken than the 

 figures show, the inaccuracy of these being due to the fact that 

 moths are broken up very much before being eaten. 



The Neuroptem practically consist only of winged termites. 



From the above account of insects eaten by the King-crow, 

 it will be seen that very few beneficial insects are taken. Chilomenes 

 sexmaculata has only been found in one bird, this bird containing 

 the remains of six of these insects.* They were captured in Feb- 

 ruary over a wheat crop, C. sexmaculata being especially partial 

 to the wheat aphis (Siphonophora granaria). One bird contained 

 a wing of a dragon-fly, an insect which if anything is beneficial. 

 (In England I have seen dragon-flies, I believe Libellula quadra- 

 tulata, take two species of butterflies, Brenthis euphrosyne and 

 Pieris napi.) Other small animals such as worms and spiders, 

 both of which are beneficial, are taken occasionally. No special 

 preference is shown to any species of beneficial insect, but undoubt- 

 edly they would be taken when met with. The vast quantity of 

 injurious insects eaten completely counterbalances the fact that 

 any beneficial ones are taken. Amongst the more important pests, 

 the following are of the greatest economic importance : Of Or- 

 thoptera, the Bombay locust (A. succinctum), grasshoppers notably 

 Chrotogonus, ground grasshoppers which do vast damage to young 

 crops, and various crickets. Of Neuroptera, termites. Of Coleop- 

 tera, Cetoniids, Coprids and the larvae of Anomala varidns, a com- 

 mon root pest. Of the Lepidoptera, agrotids and cutworms, Sp. 

 mauritia and also Scirpophaga auriflua. 



We may hence consider the King-crow to be as beneficial as a 

 general insect feeder can be, and he should be encouraged in every 

 possible way. 



The powerful build of the King-crow eminently fits him for se- 

 curing insects on the wing, but all the same he is very partial to 

 grubs and caterpillars. His tail is far too long and cumbersome 

 to allow him to make a practice of picking caterpillars off trees and 



* #ut gee also under date 14-5-08 in Tabl of Stomach-contents. T. B. I 1 . 



