262 THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



Two beetles taken from the stomach of this species by 

 Mr. Mackenzie, are Blosyrus asellus and Colasposoma pulcherrima. 

 The Bustards are essentially plains birds, and confined to the 

 more Northern parts of India, one species only- S. aurita being 

 found in the South. Sypheotis certainly appears to be beneficial. 



LIMICOL.E. 



The food consists of crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and insects ; 

 rarely of small fish or eggs of other birds ; but not uncommonly 

 of vegetable matter, on which the ' ' Thinocorythidae ' entirely 

 subsist. 



(EDICNEMID^E. STONE-PLOVEES AND STONE- CURLEWS. 



1418. (Edicnemus scolopax. Stone-Curlew. Almost entirely 

 insects. Jerd. B. I. Ill, 635. Insects, worms and snails. F. I. 

 IV, 205. Worms, insects, molluscs or even reptiles, frogs and 

 mice. E. B. C. N. H., 297. 



Stomnchs examined 



12-3-08. 9 Chrotogonus sp. 



4 Camponotus comprewus. 



12 Remains of Tenebrionids, possibly Mesomorpha, and Opatrum spp. 

 13-6-09. 1 Chroiogonus sp. 



1 Trox indicus. 

 23 Himatismus sp. 



1 Carabid sp ? (Pusa No. 2115.) 

 15_6_09. 4 Chrotogonus sp. 



3 Gryllotalpa africana. 



5 Camponotus compressus. 



Summary. Of 63 insects taken, 17 are injurious, 45 neutral, 

 and 1 beneficial. One bird took a beneficial insect, all took 

 neutral and all injurious ones. 



Esacince. Slugs, insects, mollusca and Crustacea. Jerd. B. 

 I. Ill, 652. 



1419. Esacus recurvirostris. Great Stone-Plover. Crustacea, 

 shell fish and occasionally insects. Jerd. B. I. Ill, 653. Crustacea, 

 molluscs and occasionally insects. F. I., 206. Crustacears ard 

 molluscs. E. B. C. N. H., 297, 



