MASON AND LEFfcOY. 249 



These little Quails haunt grass lands and low jungle scrub, 

 the three first mentioned species occurring in the plains. Their 

 food consists principally of a variety of small weed seeds, with the 

 addition of a few insects. They are of practically no importance 

 from an economic standpoint, if anything being beneficial. 



GRALLATORES. 



Feed on fish, reptiles, molluscs, insects, and a few on vegeta- 

 ble matter. A. C. M., 121. 



Grallce. Sub-order Fulicarice. Rallidce. Rails, Crakes and 

 Coots. The food is in most forms chiefly vegetable, consisting 

 of various water plants, seeds, etc., but in addition most of the spe- 

 cies live on insects and their larvae and on small crustaceans. F. 

 I., 4, 157. The Gallinulinae (coots and water hens) live chiefly on 

 vegetable matter, seeds, etc. (713). The rails (Rallinse) feed much 

 on small molluscs, insects and their larvse, occasionally on grain 

 and vegetable matter. (721). Jerd. B. I., 3, 721., 713. Chiefly 

 vegetable. S. M. F. Z., 1908. Partially vegetable diet. A. C. 

 M., 122. 



The food consists of worms, molluscs, insects and their larvge 

 green herbage, tubers, roots of aquatic plants and seeds. Poryhyrio 



cause serious damage to potato, rice, and corn-crops.... 



Some of the stronger species occasionally prey on mice, lizards, young 

 birds and eggs. E. B. C. N. H., 245. 



1387. Eallus indicus. Indian Water Rail. Their food... con- 

 sists chiefly of insects of all kinds, small shells, worms, grass and 

 other seeds and green vegetable mater. H. M. G. B. I., 1, 259. 

 It feeds partly on small insects, mollusca and worms, and partly 

 on vegetable matter. F. I., 4, 159. 



1388. Rallus aqtiaticus. Water Rail. Of its Indian habits 

 we know nothing. Macgillivray remarks " Its food consists of 

 worms, slugs, helices, limnise, insects , and seeds of gramineae." 

 H. M. G. B. I, 1, 262. 



