150 Occasional Notes. 



This makes good evidence against preference hard to 

 obtain. Similarly, unchecked refusals, on the other hand, 

 may mean merely that the animal was iitterbi replete, and 

 this makes good evidence for preference difficult to get. 

 Refusals by an animal that is obviously searching for food 

 are another matter ; as are contrasted refusal and acceptance 

 and special persecution of a particular species of prey to the 

 apparent neglect of other species as abundant and easy to 

 obtain as itself. 



Acceptances by captive animals are also subject to the 

 considerations I have mentioned. Even slight delay in 

 acceptance is worth "controlling" by the immediate offering 

 of some known favourite food to ascertain if the animal be 

 really replete. 



I am collecting all the evidence I can get, both for and 

 against preference, and will be very glad indeed to hear of 

 any. 



Other points worth observing are : (1) the animals that 

 eat eggs (with Moorhen and Centropus as inveterate egg- 

 eaters it is possible that many other birds that we do not at 

 present suspect may also be enemies of eggs) ; (2) the 

 S[)ecial enemies of Weavers' eggs ; (3) evidence on the view 

 that the different types of Weaver eggs are useful in 

 enabling the different parents to recognise their own in a 

 colony of many ; (-i) ejection of Cuckoos'" eggs or desertion 

 as a definite result of their having been placed in the nest. 



Gungunyana, C. -F. M. SwYNKERTON. 



Melsetter, E-liodesia. 

 Nov. 0th, 1915. 



10. *No. 6S (Administrator's), 1915.] 



PROCLAMATION 



By the Hon. the Administrator of the Province of 



Transvaal, 



UNDER and by virtue of the powers vested in me and the 

 Executive Committee of the Province by sub-section (a) of section 

 three of the Game Preservation Ordinance, 1905, as amended by 



