242 THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



Stomachs examined conoid. 



14-6-09. 32 Camponotus compressus. 

 4 Polyrachis simplex. 

 1 Cremastogaster subnuda. 

 1 Himatismus sp. 

 22 Opatrum depressum. 

 i '. ,. 2 Opatrum sp. 



21 Penthicus sip. (No. 2442). 

 6 Tanymecus hispidus. 

 1 Carabid. (Pusa No. 1822.) 



1 Hapalochrus fasciatus. 

 31 Pulvinaria sp. 



2 Leguminous weed seeds. 



Summary. Of 948 insects taken by 30 birds 6 are beneficial, 203 

 injurious, and 739 neutral. Twenty-nine birds took insects, of 

 which 5 took beneficial, 19 injurious, and 28 neutral. Two birds 

 took spiders. All took seeds, in nearly every case these being in 

 greater bulk than the insect food. One bird took seeds only ; wheat 

 was taken by 7 birds, oats by 23, peas by 2, and Ficus fruit by 

 one only, being picked up from the ground. 



Conclusion. Probably beneficial. 



With regard to the food of this species, it is interesting to note 

 that those birds containing oats, grain and a large percentage of 

 weed seeds, were those which were shot earlier in the day than those 

 with a large percentage of insects. The birds presumably enter 

 cultivated areas only early in the morning, retiring to high crops, 

 waste lands or jungle, where there is long grass and good cover 

 as soon as work commences in the fields. They are seen compara- 

 tively seldom in the open during the day and then I believe only 

 when they have been disturbed from cover. 



Those birds recorded with a large proportion of insect food, were 

 shot between 10 A.M. and 5 P.M. I do not know if standing crops 

 are attacked. None of the birds examined had obtained their food 

 from this source. The grain and possibly some of 1he weed seeds 

 had been gleaned up from stubbles, whilst the greater proportion 

 of the weed seeds and I believe all the insects were not taker on culti- 

 vated areas, but in rough jungle. The contents of several of the 

 stomachs proved that this bird is sometimes a foul feeder. Several 

 glass beads and stones or pebbles fairly brightly coloured were 



