MASON AND LEFROY. 281 



Sakri contd. 



*l Opatrum sp. 



*2 Opatrum depressum. 



17 Agrotis sp. larvae (cutworms). 



2 Prodenia liltoralis larvae. 



1 Sphceridium annulatum. (Belostomid). 



9 Small frogs. 



4 Small ash. 



1 Young paddy plant ? 

 27-9-09. 6 Brac'iytrypes achatinus. 



1 Onitis philemon. 

 *8 Onthophagus spp 

 *3 OntJiophagus gazella. 

 *3 Aphodiids. 

 *1 Tenebrionid. 

 10 Hydrophilus sp. larvae. 



4 Cybister confusus larvae. 

 25 Frogs. 



1 Small fish. 



2 Earthworms. 



Summary. Two birds took 141 insects, of which 32 are 

 injurious, including 17 cutworms, 109 neutral and are beneficial. 

 Both took frogs, which at this time of the year appear to be the 

 main food, and fish. One contained earthworms. 



These records not the summary are of the total number of 

 insects and animal food found in the stomachs of the two birds. 

 But I do not believe that the black Ibis is either capable of taking, 

 or content to take, such small insects as some of those recorded. 

 In the first record all the frogs were in a more than semi-digested 

 condition, and therefore none of their stomachs could be examined. 

 In the latter, however, 7 frogs were whole and had only just 

 been eaten when the bird was shot. An examination of their 

 food proved that they had fed entirely on small beetles, mostly 

 Onthophagus, while a few Aphodiids and Tenebrionids were also 

 present. We may therefore assume with certainty that the 

 smaller insects food found in the bird's stomachs was derived from 

 the stomachs of the frogs eaten. It is possible that the Carabids 

 in the first record were taken by the bird, but they are often taken 

 by frogs and were so most probably in this case. A star is placed 

 against the insects in the stomach records to denote the insects 

 which were almost certainly derived from the frogs, and these 



