124 THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



21-6-08. Grass seecU and other vegetable matter. 



21-6-08. 



21-6-08. 1 Paddy grain. 



Grass seeds and other vegetable matter. 

 13-8-08. 

 13-8-08. 

 13-8-08. 

 8-9-08. 1 Chrotogonus sp. 



1 Batch of Blattid eggs. 



Several grass seeds. 



Summary. One injurious insect taken, and a batch of eggs of a 

 Blattid [neutral insect]. All the 11 birds had taken weed seeds, and 

 1 took a paddy grain (which cannot have been taken from a stand- 

 ing crop.) 



735. Uroloncha punctulata.- Spotted Munia. 



12-6-07. 2 Weevils (9 legs only). 



Small weed seeds. 

 28-7-08. Grass seeds only. 



28-7-08. Grass seeds only. 



Summary. One bird took 2 injurious insects, all 3 had taken 

 weed seeds. 



A nest of this species was watched for some time, but being high 

 up in a bamboo fork, nothing could be identified. It undoubtedly 

 fesds the young to some extent on smallish caterpillars. 



Ploceince or Weaver Birds, all occur in the plains, and are well 

 known pests to grain. Nothing appears to be on record of what 

 these feed on when grain is not obtainable. 



ViduincB or Munias. The Indian species all appear to be plains' 

 birds. The common species do some considerable damage to grain, 

 especially paddy, but a large percentage of their food in all probabi 

 lity consists of small weed seeds and sometimes of insects. 



FRINGILLID^E. 



FINCHES. 



FringillidcB is sub-divided into Coccothraustince, Fringillince and 

 EmberizinoB. The food consists mainly of seeds, but other fruits, 

 bads, leaves, insects and their larvae are also eaten, not to mention 

 peas, crocus flowers and the like ; crossbills and some other forms 

 cleverly extract the seeds of fir cones. E. B. C. N. H., 568. 



