May, 1909. 1 * w 



BIRDS AS FRIENDS OR FOES 

 TO AGRICULTURE. 



SIR,— In response to some recent sug- 

 gestions in the " Tropical Agriculturist, 

 the following list of Ceylon buds that 

 play some part in Agriculture is submit- 

 ted. It is by no means complete, but 

 contaius the names of most of the com- 

 moner species. 



In "separating the sheep from the 

 goats," and dividing these birds into two 

 classes— beneficial and injurious— it is not 

 intended to implv that all of those in- 

 cluded in the "black list" are unmiti- 

 gated nuisances and consequently out- 

 laws. I should be extremely sorry to 

 see most of them exterminated, though 

 it may be necessary to reduce their num- 

 bers in the neighbourhood of rice-faelds 

 to which they are more particularly des- 

 tructive. ,, 



To the common sparrow alone, 1 should 

 feel inclined to show no mercy. Though 

 sentiment has at first led to its adoption 

 and welcome in most of our colonies, the 

 sparrow has sooner or later been recog- 

 nized as an unmitigated curse,— not only 

 on account of the actual damage tor 

 which it is responsible, but indirectly 

 from its inveterate hostility to the shyer 

 insectivoious birds. For some years 1 

 have been watching the steady increase 

 of this cosmopolitan bird m Ceylon. 

 Unless early steps are taken to check 

 this increase, I predict that Passer 

 domesticus will become, before long, the 

 most serious enemy of the paddy grower. 



The following species have been re- 

 corded as grain feeders, and many of 

 them as beiug very destructive in rice 

 fields :— 



1. The common House Sparrow, 

 Passer domesticus. 



2. The common Weaver Bird, Ploceus 

 philippinus. 



3. The Black-Bellied Munia, Munia 

 malacca. 



4. The Spotted Munia, Munia 

 punctata. , 



5. The White-Backed Munia, Munia 



6. The Plain Brown Munia, Munia 

 malabarica. 



7. The Ceylonese Lorikeet, Loriculus 

 indicus. 



, a Correspondence. 



8. The Alexandrine Parakeet, Palce- 

 ornis eupatrius. 



9. The Rose-Ringed Parakeet, Palce- 

 omis torquatus. 



10. The Blossom-Headed Parakeet, 

 Palosornis cyanocephalus. 



Among the more useful insectivorous 

 birds may be mentioned :— 



1. The Common Hawk Cuckoo, Hiero- 

 coccyx varius. 



2. Tlie Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater, Merops 

 philippinus- 



3. The Black Drongo, Buchanga atra. 



4. The Ceylonese White-Bellied 

 Drongo, Buchanga leucopggialis- 



5. The Grey-Headed Flycatcher, Culi- 

 cicapa ceylonensis. 



6. The Magpie Robin, Copsgchus. 

 saularis. 



7. The Grey-backed Titmouse, Paras 

 atriceps. 



8. The Common White-eye, Zosterops 

 palpebrosa. 



9. The Ceylonese White-eye, Zosterops 

 ceylonensis. 



1C. The Cdylou Myna, Acridotheres 

 melanosternus. 



11. The Black Crow, Corvus macro- 

 rhyncha. 



Number 1, of this second list, feeds 

 principally upon caterpillars. One that 

 I shot upcouutry had its crop filled with 

 the large caterpillars of the "Cinchona 

 Moth " (Chozrocampa nerii). 



Numbers 2 to 9 are generally insecti- 

 vorous. The larger species may often be 

 observed taking toll of the winged Ter- 

 mites when these are in flight. 



Numbers 10 and 11 frequent cattle and 

 help to rid them of biting flies and ticks. 



There is one very familiar bird, the 

 Common Bulbul (Pgcnonotus haimor- 

 rhous), that might be included in each 

 list. It feeds very largely upon small 

 fruit and is particularly partial to the 

 berries of the Lantana. It is said to be 

 largely responsible for the spread of this 

 troublesome plant. On the other hand, 

 it is a useful destroyer of flies aud Ter- 

 mites. 



E. ERNEST GREEN, 

 Government Entomologist, R. B. G., 



Peradeniya. 



April 10, 1909. 



