44 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton o» 



anything further to do with the butterfly, ate a SpMngomorplm 

 c/i/ojva, looked closely at a unngless D. c/irysipjot/s, and refused 

 to take even this. On my offering the same butterfly through 

 the bars directly to C, the latter at once took and swallowed 

 it, probably hungry enough. But she refused a second with- 

 out tasting, two or three times. I offered it to A. He would 

 hare nothing to do with it. But C leant across, snatched it 

 from the forceps and began to run it through her bill. A most 

 interesting scene ensued. A at once pushed up against C, 

 rubbed his bill against the perch (a very common sign of dislike 

 in insectivorous birds), croaked, once (after several attempts 

 — a slight struggle) seized the Danaida as it projected from 

 C's bill, and let go again in an emphasized manner, repeated 

 these manoeuvres — seemed, in fact, to be trying, by every 

 means in his power, to dissuade C from eating the butterfly. 

 C, however, continued to run it from side to side through 

 his bill for a good many seconds after A had ceased his efforts, 

 and then finally rejected it. I now offered a wingless 

 Hamanumida dcrdahis throuo-h the crack. A regarded it 

 with suspicion, took the abdomen and at once dropped it. 

 C tasted the thorax very thoroughly and swallowed it. I 

 offered another. A took it, ran it through his bill time after 

 time, evidently suspicious of me and tasting it very thoroughly, 

 and finally swallowed it. Then A, B, and C each ate a 

 SpMngomorpha cJdorea. 



A's attempt to dissuade his nearly one-year-old offspring 

 from eating a Danaida chrysippus was an incident of quite 

 exceptional interest, as showing how long the parental influ- 

 ence in such matters may continue. 



507. Jan. 15. — A readily accepted and ate, after tearing 

 off all but one hind wing, a Catopsilia florella with wings, 

 reached up twice and looked at ?i Precis 7iatalensis (wet-seamn 

 form reminiscent of Acrcea acara) xvith icings, and sank down 

 without attem[)ting to take it. On my persisting in offering 

 it to him, he just snatched it from the forceps with the point 

 of his bill and threw it violently to the other side of the cage. 

 But he accepted and readily ate two butterflies of the same 

 species and form without wings, examining the first for a 



