MASON AND LEFEOY. 339 



was seen to be taken on one occasion by the King-crow, and 

 Ilerda sena by Passer domesticus, both of which insects are 

 neutral. J 



Moths include many major pests of varied habits defoliators, 

 miners, cut-worms, grain and fabric pests. The larvae form an 

 inexhaus table supply of insects food to almost all species of insec- 

 tivorous birds, and even many species of birds that when mature 

 feed almost, if not quite, entirely on grain and seeds are when in 

 the nest fed very largely on caterpillars by the parent birds. 



The hairy caterpillars of the Arctiidce and the Lymantriidce 

 are taken to some considerable extent by the common Hawk- 

 cuckoo, Hierococcyx varius ; both these families of insects are inju- 

 rious. The larvae of Noctuids, notably the cut-worms and swarming 

 caterpillars, some of the best-known pests, are taken by a number 

 of different families of birds and form a very general food supply. 

 Gut-worms (Agrotis spp.) are taken especially by the Mynahs, 

 Upupa indica, Hierococcyx varius, and by Crows ; also occasion- 

 ally by Copsychus saularis, Thrushes and Snipe ; they probably 

 form a considerable portion of the food of Inocotis papillosus. 

 Swarming caterpillars are taken by the same classes of birds ; 

 Chloride a obsolete, was only found to be taken by Oriolus kundoo, 

 but is said to be kept in check on gram in the C. P. by Mynahs 

 and the Rosy Pastor. 



Caradrina was found in the stomachs of Dendrocitta infa, 

 Upupa indica, Siphia albicilia, and Oriolus melanocephalus ; 

 Prodenia littoralis in Dendrocitta rufa and Inocotis papillosus : 

 and Spodoptera mauritia in Dendrocitta rufa, Dicrurus ater, Corvus 

 splendens and C. macrorhynchus. Attacks of swarming cater- 

 pillars are limited to some extent by Crows and Mynahs ; we have 

 one very good instance of this from Balaghat C. P. and others are 

 on record from Eastern Bengal. 



Attacks of Caradrina exigua on mangolds and of Chloridea 

 obsoleta on gram on the Pusa estate have revealed nothing of 

 interest, 



