MASON AND LEPROY. 127 



Stomachs examined contd. 



12-4-07. 3 Shoots of ? bamboo. 



Some leaves, grass seeds and weed seeds. 

 20-5-08. 2 Myllocerus sp. ? (broken elytra). 



Some ants ? legs. 

 Weed seeds and vegetable matter. 

 3-6-07. 1 Onthophagus spinifer. 



2 Myllocerus discolor. 

 1 Tanymecus sp. 



Weed and grass seeds and leaves. 



31-6-08. Entirely vegetable mostly consisting of small hard black seeds. 



27-7-08. 1 Small Geometrid larva. 



Grass seeds, weed seeds, and some vegetable matter. 

 4-10-08. 1 (Ecophylla smaragdina. 



Small grass and weed seeds and some vegetable matter. 

 15-10-07. Entirely grass seeds. 



11-11-07. 1 Oat grain. 



1 Maize grain. 

 Ficus fruit. 

 Grass, and some small weed seeds. 



Summary. Of 17 insects taken by 12 birds, 2 are neutral and 

 15 injurious. The remains of other injurious insects (weevils) and 

 neutral insects (ants) were also noted. Seven birds only contained 

 insects. Eleven birds contained vegetable matter consisting of 

 grass seeds leaves and weed seeds. Two had eaten some Ficus fruit 

 and one a maize and an oat grain. 



776. Passer domesticus. House Sparrow. Passer domesticus 

 and the common striped squirrel (Sciurus palmarum) two of the great- 

 est pests of most stations. I have frequently seen it chase and 

 capture moths in a room. Jerd. B. I. II, 363-4. 



Some kinds of birds eat weevils ((C. oryzce) such as sparrows- 

 I. M. N. I, 28. 



Ascend hills at times where there is cultivation, following the 

 rice carts. B. N. H. S. J., XV, 459. 



Dewar says sparrow nestlings in the early stages are fed almost 

 exclusively on caterpillars, grubs and insects. "It is the custom 

 to speak of the sparrow as a curse to the husbandman. The bird is 

 popularly supposed to live on grain, fruit, seedlings and buds those 

 of valuable plants by preference. There is no denying the fact that 

 the sparrow does devour a certain amount of fruit and grain, 

 but, so far from being a pest, I believe that the good it does by des- 



