No. 2.] Reprints and Miscellaneous Notes. 95 



All the families of spiders are insectivorous, but only a few are 

 really useful to man, e.g.y the Thomisidae and the orb-weavers 

 (Orbitelariae). These are almost entirely absent, and the only family 

 which is well represented ( Lycosidse ) has no economic importance. 



No ticks ( Ixodidse) were found in the stomachs. 



The insectivorous myriapods are not represented, being probably 

 protected by their mode of life. 



It will be seen from the foregoing remarks that among the princi- 

 pal insect food of the Crow there are only two classes of eminently 

 beneficial insects, vis., the ground beetles (Carabidae), and the soldier 

 bugs (predaceous Pentatomidae). The ground spider (Lycosid^) 

 and the ants are, in the opinion of the writer, to be classed among 

 the neutral or innoxious insects, which class also includes the dung 

 insects, many of the Lamellicorn beetles, and a great many of the 

 other insects found in smaller numbers in the stomachs. All the rest 

 belong to the injurious Insects, notably the grasshoppers, May 

 beetles (including some allied genera), the click beetles (Elateridae), 

 the weevils (Rynchophorous Coleoptera), the cutworms (in fact all 

 Lepidoptera) and the crane flies (Tipulidae). 



It is evident that the percentage of the three groups of insects 

 forming the chief insect food of the Crow cannot be determined, 

 from the number of species, nor from the bulk represented by the 

 aggregate of each species, but must be determined by the number 

 of specimens. It is difficult to give exact figures on this last point 

 for two reasons, viz.'— 



(i.) While it is easy to determine the number of specimens of a 

 given species where there are but few in the stomach, it is often 

 impossible to do so where the number is great, and the specimens 

 are in the decomposed condition in which insects are usually found 

 when in such numbers. In most instances the number could only 

 be approximated by the number of heads or mandibles, as the remain- 

 der of the body has been essentially destroyed by digestion. 



(2.) A large proportion of the stomachs submitted are those of 

 nestlings, and it follows that the mere fragment of any given insect 

 is counted in such a case as a specimeUj while it is probable that a 

 single specimen may have been given in fragments or portions by 

 the parent to several of the nestlings, so that combined they repre- 

 sent but one single individual. Nevertheless the difficulties do not, 

 in my judgment, invalidate the general conclusions arrived air, 

 which are, that the sum total of specimens of those insects which 

 are emphatically injurious to agriculture vastly outnumbers these 



