MASON AND LEFEOY. 



173 



Stomachs examined contd. 



12-6-07. 

 19-6-07. 



28-6-08. 



10-7-08. 



14-7-08. 



1 Small caterpillar. 

 1 Spider. 



6 Anomala varians. L. 

 3 Chrotogomis sp. L. 

 3 (Ecophila smaragdina. 

 3 Myrmecocystus setipes. 

 1 Phidole (?) sp. malinisi.) 

 1 Coprid leg ? 



1 Neuropterous larva ? Myrmele*. 

 14 Legs and insects remains, beetles and ant?. 



1 Melolonthid (?) (Anomala) leg. 

 6 Caterpillars, 4 kinds. 



2 Gryllotalpa africana. 



1 Moth (? Plecoptera reflexa). 

 6 Cydnus nigritus. 

 1 Te,rmes sp. 

 9-9-08. 11 Onthophagus spinifer. 



1 Carabid. (part of elytron). 

 1 Aphodiid (2106). 



5 Anomala varians L. 



3-10-08. 1 Forficulid clasper (?) Chelisoches melanocephalus. 

 1 Opatrum sp. 

 1 Jaw of a caterpillar. 



1 Spider. 



(practically empty!) ' 



0-10 07. 1 Chrotogonus. 



6 Opatrum depressum 



3 Cutworms. 



2 Two or three broken caterpillars. 

 10-11-07. 1 Small green caterpillar 



Summary. Of 278 insects taken by 24 birds 13 are beneficial, 

 180 injurious, and 85 neutral. Five birds took beneficial insects. 

 12 neutral and 21 injurious. Three birds took spiders, 1 a snail, 

 and 1 vegetable matter. 



Field Notes. 



The hoopoes are usually to be found in the neighbourhood of 

 towns and villages and in and around cultivated areas and waste 

 lands as long as these are not too far from trees, or bits of jungle. 

 They are seldom seen far out in the open. Their favourite haunts 

 are avenues, especially if grass is growing in these, grasslands and 

 lawns. They naturally prefer damp localities to dry ones, foocf 

 being then more readily procurable. It is almost entirely insec- 

 tivorous, sometimes however taking worms, which and also large 



