MASON AND LEPEOY. 287 



Ardetta. Go out to feed at night on fish, frogs, water in- 

 sects and worms, and about the sea-coast on crabs and other 

 Crustacea. Some occasionally feed during daylight. F. I. IV, 

 400. 



1572. Ardetta cinnamomea. Chestnut Bittern. Fish. B. N. 

 H. S. J. XIII, 153. 



1573. Dupetor flavicollis. Black Bittern. Shell and other 

 fish and water insects. B. N. H. S. J. XV, 77. 



1574. Botaurus stellaris. Bittern. Fish, frogs, water-insects, 

 crustaceans and worms. F. I. IV, 405. 



Frogs, fish, &c., and it is recorded that a Water Rail entire 

 was taken out of the stomach of one in Scotland. F. I. Ill, 

 758. 



The Platalece or Ibises and Spoonbills occur practically 

 throughout India. They are mostly marsh loving birds and are 

 probably of little importance, one species at any rate in some part 

 of the year is considered beneficial, namely, the Black Ibis (In* 

 ocotis papillosus). 



Ciconice or Storks occur throughout India, being perhaps less 

 common towards the South. Of these birds the Adjutants, which 

 have a somewhat different diet from that of other Storks, are 

 regarded as being beneficial as they are good scavengers. "The 

 adjutants and true storks are all more or less foul feeders and 

 in the East do much service as scavengers/' (Watt). 



The Ardece comprising the Herors, Egrets and Bitterns occur 

 in all parts of India, and are residents generally performing local 

 migration according to food supply. They are marsh birds es- 

 sentially, one genus Lepterodius frequenting the sea-shores 

 Most feed on fish, frogs and such food as is to be found in shallow 

 water, and are therefore not beneficial, while one or two of the 

 Egrets, which at times obtain a certain amount of their food on 

 dry land, are then beneficial, feeding as they then do very largelv 

 on grasshoppers. 



