80 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton o;i 



some time, but finally abandoned it, tasted and at once rejected 

 an Acrcca terpsicliore. 



Again there was no doubt of the order of preference. 



548. June 22. — The bird was busy eating grasshoppers, 

 which had just before been placed in the cage. I threw in 

 amongst them a Terms and an Ypthima near impura. The 

 first, a small bright yellow Pierine with feeble flight, was 

 throughout ignored, the latter (a small brown Satyrine, also 

 with feeble flight) was at once picked up, tasted, and re- 

 jected — and the Babbler proceeded with her feed. I then 

 inserted an Acrcea terpsicliore and a Danaida clirysippus. 

 The former (a small insect with the usual protective juice of 

 the Acrajas) was tasted and rejected, and the latter (a famous 

 model for mimicry) was simply ignored. The Babbler now 

 returned to her perch, satisfied, so far as small dull- 

 coloured grasshoppers were concerned, but she still accepted 

 and ate a Hamanumida dcedalus with evident appreciation; 

 refused without tasting one or two of the grasshoppers 

 definitely offered to her, also another Yyptldma; but accepted 

 and ate a Precis cehrene^ and ihen accepted and pulled about 

 for some seconds a Hamamimida dcedalus, but finally abandoned 

 it, evidently through repletion. She now refused without 

 tastino- a Charaxes neanthes, a Lampides hetica, and another 

 Hamanumida dcedalus. 



The bird's liking for the two wary Nymphalines with 

 procryptic undersides as against the previously offered 

 butterflies, and as against even small dull grasshoppers, was 

 very evident. 



549. June 23. — Tasted and rejected in turn an Acrcca 

 terpsicliore, a Mijlotliris rueppelli, a Mylothris yulei, and a 

 Nyctemera leuconoe. The first is a small Acrcea with brilliant 

 upper surface and protective juice, the next two are white 

 Pierines with orange wing-bases and a strong smell, the last 

 is a tomato-leaf-scented, black and white, day-flying moth. 



550. Aug. 21. — Accepted and, with the greatest brisk- 

 ness, crushed and swallowed a large strongly-smelling (Weid 

 buo-, Holopterna alata. No sign of dislike was shown, but 



