MASON AND LEFBOY. 345 



occur, they are largely eaten and perhaps kept in considerable 

 check by the agency of these birds. 



Munophlebus octocaudata was taken by Cuculus macrurus* 

 D cm m ater, Liopicus mahrattensis, Upupa indica and Francoli- 

 nus vulgaris, this latter bird also taking a species of Pulvinaria. 

 Tachardia lacca, the lac insect, is of considerable importance com- 

 mercially in this group of insects, and though there is some consi- 

 derable cultivation of this insect at Pusa, on only one occasion 

 has a specimen been taken from a bird, namely, Liopicus mahratten 

 sis. No other birds have been noticed to feed on this insect, though 

 some, notably Brachypternus aurantius, habitually feed on ants 

 found and captured on the trees on which the lac is cultivated. 



