MASON AND LEPROY. 129 



Notes. This bird has been said to eat larvae and imagines of the Potato Moth (Phthorimcea 

 operculella) both in the field and in the store. It undoubtedly eats many insects. At Kasauli 

 I saw it frequently pursuing and capturing moths. They appeared particularly fond of 

 hunting trellis work on verandahs for insects especially moths, and I saw several Ganophus 

 eoloris taken and eaten (captured as they were at rest on the trellis or wall). Besides some 

 small Pyralids, a Lycaenid (Ilerda se.no) and an Agrotis sp. were also seen captured at the 

 same place. The first Scardamia metallaria recorded from Pusa I took from a house-sparrow. 

 The grubs of the "Senji" weevil (Hypera variabilis) and also the larvae of Tarache notabilis 

 are both said to be eaten by the sparrow, a considerable check being kept on the latter by the 

 bird. 



It is interesting to note that though this sparrow appears to occur in numbers wherever 

 there are Europeans, yet at Pusa we hardly ever see this bird, and therefore we have no stomach 

 records of any importance. 



This bird is generally regarded as a pest. I very much doubt this 

 for India as a whole... In cultivated areas in the neighbourhood of 

 towns the bird will almost certainly prove a pest, but where it occurs 

 only in small numbers, which would be in country places away from 

 towns, this bird is most probably beneficial. Considering, however, 

 the fact that this species is an undoubted pest in some countries, 

 its protection cannot at present be recommended in India. 



777. Passer pyrrhonotus. Rufous-backed Sparrow. 

 Appeared to feed on the seeds of grasses. B. N. H. S. J., XIX, 260. 



786. Fringillauda nemoricola. Hodgson's Mountain Finch. 

 Kernels and hard seeds digested by trituration with gravel. 

 (Hodgson). Jerd. B. I., II, 414. 



Embsrizinw.- -Buntings, Buntings frequent cornfields, waste 

 lands and grassy tracts. They devour grain in large quantities, 

 and also feed on seeds of all sorts. F. I., II., 250. 



The young are said to be fed chiefly on insects. Jerd. B.I., II, 

 369. 



790. Emberiza fucata. Grey-headed Bunting. (Swinhoe) 

 standing cornfields in China. Jerd. B. I., II, 376. 



796. E. hortulana. Ortolan Bunting. The true Ortolan. 

 Watt. D. E. P. I. 0. 251. ' 



797. Emberiza aureola. Yellow-breasted Bunting. (Swinhoe) 

 ripening corn in China. Jerd. B. I., II, 380. 



798. E. spodocephala. Black-faced Bunting. Damage ripe 

 paddy. B. N. H. S. J., II, 83. 



