D'lnls i/i Relation to tJieir Prey. 53 



the softening of the larva, finally swallowing it whole without 

 a sign of dislike. 



I now left the second ^1. caldarena in the cage and kept 

 the bird unfed for three hours. At the end of that time the 

 abdomen had disappeared, but the thorax remained uneaten. 



All the insects in this experiment were offered alive. 



512. Jan. 21. — I placed alive in the cage : 



(1) A Danaida chrysippns. It was at once seized, tasted, 

 and dropped, the bird retiring with a discomfited air to the 

 far end of the perch and taking no further notice of it. 



(2) A PapiVio dardanus, ^ (large lemon-yellow Swallow- 

 tail with black marginal and submarginal bands). It was 

 caught after two or three attempts, taken to perch, trans- 

 ferred to claw, and picked to pieces and eaten with no show 

 of hesitation. 



To avoid acceptances being the result of hunger, I inserted 

 larval locusts and allowed the bird to eat all it would. I 

 then inserted 



(3) A Papilla demodocus. It was seized and tasted, the 

 hind wings were removed after much trouble, and the abdomen 

 with the small portion of the thorax that usually breaks off 

 with it was swallowed* The rest of the thorax with the 

 fore wings attached was dropped. Reoffered thrice, it was 

 each time simply taken in the point of the bill and dropped. 

 I removed the wings and reoffered the thorax. It v/as at 

 once softened up and swallowed. The bird had evidently 

 not been hungry enough to feel inclined to go to the trouble 

 of removing the strongly-attached wings. 



Later. — B also escaped. These birds are expert lock- 

 pickers. They spend much of their time when caged in 

 probing into every crack in the woodwork, undoing the 

 fasteuino;s of the door throuo-h the crack between it and the 

 cage, or (having found, in looking for insects at the back, 

 they could do it) in levering the tray, if left unfastened, for- 

 ward — and open — by inserting their bills at the back of it 

 and using them as ordinary levers. I have seen them 

 working together at this, and they are certainly birds of 

 great intelligence. 



