188 THE FOOD OP BIRDS IN INDIA. 



PSITTACI. 



PARROTS. 



They dwell chiefly in forests, and live on fruit, grain, or roots, 

 Jerd. B. I. I, 253. Most wasteful feeders and are usually great 

 pests to grain and fruit crops. S. M. F. Z., 1908. Paraquets do a 

 certain amount of damage to crops. Bengal Gaz., Monghyr, 22. 



Psittaci. Plantains, papaw apples, figs, and tarmarinds, being 

 varied with flowers, buds, leaves, hard palm nuts and fruits of 

 Platanus, Casuarina, Banksia, Cactus, or Capsicum. E. B. C. 

 N.H., 364. 



Palaeornis all species of green parrots have similar habits. 

 All are gregarious, and feed almost exclusively on fruit and seeds. 

 They do much damage to the crops, destroying more than they eat 

 since they have a way of breaking oft' a head of corn, eating a few 

 grains, and then attacking another head. When green parrots are 

 plentiful the long suffering ryot sees them among the ills to which 

 the flesh is heir to. When the crops are cut the parrots feed 

 among the stubble, picking up the fallen grains. Dewar. B. R., 191. 



1135. PalcBornis nepalensis. Large Indian Paroquet. Fruits 

 and grain. Jerd. B. I. I, 257. 



1138. Palceornis torquatus. Rose-ringed Paroquet. Very des- 

 tructive to most kinds of grain, as well as to fruit in gardens. 

 Burgess says that they carry off the ears of corn to trees to devour. 

 When grains are cut it feeds on the stubble corn fields, also on 

 meadows picking up what seeds it can. Hunting for any tree that 

 may be in fruit. Jerd B. I. I, 258. 



Much damage by pilfering grain and fruit. F. I. Ill, 251. 

 Fruits and grains. E. Be. N. H. S., 368. 



Stomachs examined : 



I have examined 53 stomachs of this bird during 1907 & 1908 

 al various seasons 



December- March. 14 These birds had fed entirely on mustard, and wheat ripe and unripe. 



Percentage of mustard about 75. Percentage of wheat about 25. 

 May. 6 Lichis. They do not apparently eat the seeds. 



The pulpy arila of Ccphalaodrq. 



