Birds in Relation to their Prey, 67 



and \n five minutes two more, but refused the eighth without 

 tastino- — readily, however, eating Amauris ochlea. He then 

 wiped his bill and refused to eat another Amauris. 



B now ate an A, albimaculata, but refused a second, at 

 first without tasting. She then took it in the point of her 

 bill and occupied herself for several minutes in trying to 

 force it into that of A, Finally, she dropped it. 



Eoth birds now persistently refused Z^anaeV/^ and A matir is, 

 but each after tasting them well ate two Acrwa naialica. 



533. March 16. — A ate 5 Danaida and was quite ready 

 to go on. B ate 5 Amauris albimaculata^ but refused the 

 sixth with some show of irritation. A at once ate 5 more 

 Danaida chri/sippus, and was again quite prepared to go on. 

 B angrily refused Amauris albimaculata. 



10 minutes later A readily ate 5 Danaidas. B ate 5 

 A. albimaculata, but took the sixth with hesitation, and for 

 a long time tried to push it into A's throat — evidently for an 

 opinion, as she kept a tight grip on it, ready to pull it away 

 at once had he given any sign of approval. Finally, as he 

 would not take it, she dropped it*. 



A now more hesitatingly than before ate 4 Danaida in 

 succession, but absolutely refused the fifth — eagerly, however, 

 snatching at an Amauris albimaculata, B hesitatingly took 

 the latter in her bill, but made no attempt to eat it, tryino- 

 instead again to force it into A's bill, but, as before, tiohtenino- 

 her hold on it whenever he seemed disposed to take it. 

 Though so eager for it before, he now, on the whole, resisted 

 lier, sus})icious of such marked and persistent attention or, 

 more likely, realizing that she would not let him have it. 



10 minutes later A ate 4 Danaida, but refused to touch a 

 fifth, while B refused irritably the Amauris albimaculata. 

 A, however, readily ate an Amauris lobengula, but B angrily 

 refused a Danaida. 



15 minutes later A ate readily 4 Danaida, but steadily 



* This method of obtaining an opinion is, as I have seen, practised by- 

 other birds besides llorubills, so that the suggestion is not entirely 

 far-ietched. 



5* 



