Birds ill Relation to their Prey. 49 



meantime, she made no attempt to renew lier acquaintance 

 with the two butterflies. 



I put in an Acrwa cahlarena alive and fluttering. The 

 Irrisor hesitated, then made for it, cauoht it with little diffi- 

 culty by the thorax, and dropped it as promptly as she had 

 done the Amauris, again retiring to the farthest end of the 

 perch. But she at once seized, stripped of wings, and 

 swallowed with the greatest eagerneas Si SphingomorpJia chlorea. 



The above-described inspection of an insect found un- 

 pleasant has been exampled amongst my other birds too. 

 The fact that birds will thus study the detailed appearance 

 of their prey is one of very obvious importance entomo- 

 logically and of interest generally. 



509. Jan. 17. — Wet day, no butterflies, but in a momentary 

 gleam of sunshine I captured a female Hypolimnas misippus 

 (good mimic of Danaida clirysippus) near the house, and at 

 once placed it in the Wood-Hoopoe's cage. It immediately 

 began fluttering against the bars like the Amauris domini- 

 canus of the other day, but with this difference that, whereas 

 that highly nauseous butterfly banged itself about everywhere 

 indiscriminately, the Hypolimnas, an insect that has to trust 

 far more to avoidance of enemies^ kept scrupulously to the 

 corner of the wire farthest away from the bird, and on my 

 })ushing it back thrice to the centre of the cage always 

 returned at once to that corner. 



The Irrisor watched the butterfly intently at first, and once 

 made a move towards it, but hesitated and turned back 

 before reaching it, probably deterred by its Danaida-Wka 

 appearance. She then remained on her perch for quite 

 three or four minutes without takino- much further notice of 

 the butterfly. Finally, however, unable to resist the invita- 

 tion of its fluttering, she again edged up to it, but when 

 within two inches of it picked up a dead migratory locust 

 instead and ate it. She then again turned to examine the 

 butterfly. It was now at rest for a moment, and the bird 

 finally plucked up courage to take it by the thorax and to 

 give it two or three squeezes, evidently tasting it well. 

 Then came the change from hesitation to eagerness that I 



4 



