98 THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



I have only seen this bird twice in Behar in the last three years 

 and the six specimens then obtained proved to have fed almost 

 entirely on Ficus fruit. In September 1908 I noticed this species 

 to be very generally distributed from Delhi to Rohri (via Bhatinda) 

 in cultivated areas. It appeared to be in small flocks, only about 50 

 birds at the most in a flock, and so in this respect much resembling 

 the Bank Mynah (Acridotheres ginginianus) and to feed all day 

 long in the crops of jowari. Most of the bird scaring is done from 

 "machans" erected in the middle of the crop, the birds being scared 

 off the crop by slings, shouting, beating tins, &c. Almost every year 

 when one hears of locust swarms these birds together with crows 

 are reported to accompany the swarms and to act as a considerable 

 check on the numbers of the locusts. They not only destroy large 

 numbers of locusts, but also do much good, since, by worrying the 

 insects, they drive them on from place to place, so checking the dam- 

 age to some extent and preventing the crops of one locality from 

 total destruction. The damage is lessened and spread over a larger 

 area. The only record we have of this bird attacking other insect 

 pests was in conection with a spasmodic and an unique attack on 

 various crops by a species of cricket, possibly Liogryllus bimaculatus. 

 This attack was completely checked by this bird. 



It is more than probable that this species, when noticed on the 

 jowari crops and apparently feeding entirely on the grain, also takes 

 some insects. In very few cases will it be found that more or less 

 omnivorous birds have their diet consisting entirely of one farm of 

 food at any time. 



[ It is extremely uncertain how far one can say that this bird 

 really does any good with locust-hoppers. They come in flocks and 

 feed during the day when the hoppers are fairly active, with the 

 result that the swarms break up and scatter, making the work of 

 destruction more difficult. I have never seen or heard of a case 

 where the birds were numerous enough to really effect the numbers 

 of the hoppers materially ; the flocks of birds are very impressive, 

 but each bird eats only a few hoppers and they are not restricted 

 wholly to them, but appear to require other food at the same time, 



