338 THE FOOD OF BfclDS IN INDIA. 



vorous bird. Among weevils we have many major pests to crops, 

 &c., and unless we know definitely to the contrary all weevils must 

 be considered as injurious. 



Species of Amblyrrhinus, Atmetonychus, Balaninus, Phytoscopus, 

 Astycus, Myllocerus and Tanymecus are very commonly eaten by 

 birds, the last three genera being leaf-eaters. Hypera and Rhyn- 

 chophorus, boring weevils, are also recorded as taken, the former 

 by Crows and Mynahs, the latter by Brachypternus aurantius ; 

 Mynahs, Sparrows and Wagtails are said to take the grain pest 

 Calandra oryzcs. Blosyrus asellus was once taken from Sypheotis 

 bengalensis. 



LEPIDOPTERA. This order includes the Butterflies, Rhopa- 

 locera and the Moths, Heterocera, and is one of the largest orders 

 of insects. Amongst them we have some of the worst crop and 

 grain pests and none in India can be said to be beneficial to any 

 marked degree. The only instance of beneficial action is seen in 

 the case of the Eublemmas some of which feed on scale insects, 

 which latter are of little economic importance in India. Though 

 not directly beneficial some families are of very great use, notably 

 the Saturniidse in which family are the Tussar and Eri silk moths, 

 and the Bombycidae in which is the Mulberry silk moth Bombyx 

 won', in connection with the silk industry. 



Butterflies do not form any appreciable proportion of the food 

 of any one species of bird, though a good many birds take these 

 insects at times. A long series of experiments with regard to birds 

 taking protectively coloured or distasteful insects and especially 

 butterflies was made by Mr. Finn, and these are recorded in the 

 Journal of the Asiatic Society. They have little importance to 

 economic ernithology since most of the experiments were conducted 

 with caged birds, these therefore being under unnatural conditions. 



The Butterflies include a number of minor pests, of which Mela- 

 nitis ismene was taken by Merops viridis and Papilio pammon by 

 Acridotheres tristis. Other well-known pests are Pieris brassicce, Vira- 

 chola isocrates, and Papilio demolens. Belenois mesentina a Pierid 



