356 



ORIOLID.SS. 



STURNID-. 



MUSCICAPID-S. 



THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



Orioles. 



Oriolus kundoo. Indian Oriole. Beneficial. 



Feeds on injurious insects and wild fig fruits. 



Distinctly beneficial. 



Oriolus melanocephalus. Black-headed Oriole. Beneficial. 



Like the last. 



Mainas and Rosy Pastors. 



Pastor roseus. Rosy Pastor. Injurious. 



Whether one ranks this bird as beneficial or not 

 must depend on the relative importance one 

 attaches to its destruction of locusts and of 

 grain. My personal opinion, based on what I 

 have seen of its feeding on locusts, is that its 

 beneficial action is very much exaggerated and I 

 rank it as very injurious bird. When locusts 

 do come, they come in such vast numbers that 

 even with small hoppers of which each bird can 

 eat a number, the flocks of Rosy Pastors do no 

 appreciable good and by scattering the swarms 

 make destruction of swarms very much more 

 difficult. 



Sturnia malabarica. Grey-headed Myna. Beneficial. 



Acridotheres tristis. Common Myna. Beneficial. 



On the whole, beneficial in my opinion and 

 distinctly to be encouraged. 



Acridotheres ginginnianvs. Bank Mynah. Beneficial. 



Sturnopastor contra. Pied Mynah. Beneficial. 



Fly-catchers. 



Siphia albicilia. Eastern Red-bieasted Fly- 

 catchers. Beneficial. 



Ruticilla rufiventris. Indian Redstart. Beneficial. 



Cyanecula suecica. Indian Blue-throat. Beneficial. 



Copsychus saularis. Magpie Robin. Beneficial. 



Geocichla citrina. Orange-headed Ground-thrush. Beneficial. 

 Weaver-birds and Munias. 



Ploceus baya. Baya. Neutral. 



Croloncha malabarica. White-throated Munia. Neutral. 



Gymnorhis ftavicollis. Yellow- thoated Sparrow. Beneficial. 



Passer domesticus. House Sparrow. Injurious. 



The evidence is against this bird, no good reason 

 existing for its protection and several against. 



Cotile sinensis. Indian Sand Martin. Beneficial. 

 Wagtails and Pipits. 



Motacilla alba. White Wagtail. Beneficial. 



Motacilla personate. Masked Wagtail. Beneficial. 



Motacilla borealis. Grey-headed Wagtail. Beneficial. 



Motacilla beema. Indian Blue-headed Wagtail. Beneficial. 



Anihus maculatus. Indian Tree Pipit. Beneficial. 



Anthut rufulut. Indian -Pipit, Beneficial, 



