MR J. HAMMOND ON FOOD OF BIRDS. 
319 
To mention one investigation — Hollrung 11 published in 
Germany, in 1906, an account of the food of the Rook ( Corvus 
frugilegus) from the careful examination of 4030 stomachs, 
and from this he concludes that they are harmful to game 
preserving and cultivated crops and that they should not be 
exterminated, but their numbers reduced by shooting. 
This year (1912), Mason and Maxwell-Lefroy 1 2 have 
started the subject in India by the publication of collected 
information concerning the diet, and the details of the 
stomach contents of many birds. 
In this investigation an examination was made throughout 
the year (February, 1911 to January, 1912) of the stomach 
contents of Larks (171) andStarlings (239) ; and alsoatvarious 
times 1 the stomach contents of a few other species were 
examined. 
A general account of the food for each month is given 
below, and also the conclusions which were arrived at. The 
details and exact numbers of the various substances taken will 
be found in the Journal of Agricultural Science (vol. iv., part 
4), where a full account of the investigation is published. 
STARLINGS (Sturnus vulgaris). The following is a des- 
cription of the food taken during each month : — 
February. — The bulk of the food consisted of insects, etc., 
of which the most important were Centipedes, Leather-jackets, 
Wireworms, Gastropods and Bibio fly Iarvie. Some grain 
with a considerable amount of husk was also taken ; much of 
this was probably from dung, as was indicated by the general 
appearance and presence of Mycetophilid fly larvie. Birds 
which came from sheep folds, in addition to the common 
insects, contained pieces of oat grain, cotton seed husk and 
cut hay, which were probably taken from the feeding troughs. 
11. Hollrung, M. Landwirtschaftliche Jahrbucher, 1906. 
12. Mason, C. W., and Maxwell-Lefroy, H. Mem. of the Dept, 
of Agric. in India, 1912. 
