The Bionomics of South African Insects. 341 



the first two were practically swallowed 

 whole, but the others were eaten piece- 

 meal. I then offered a larva of Zimnas 

 chrysiiypiis, which he accepted and held 

 for some moments in his claw as though 

 in doubt, but finally let it drop after a 

 half-hearted peck. On re-presentation 

 he would not touch it, so in order to 

 restore confidence I gave him a grass- 

 hopper, on which insects he is usually 

 fed. The species offered happened to 

 have some rather light-green, yellow, and 

 black markings ; he took it with evident 

 distrust and soon dropped it, although it 

 was a species he had often eaten before. 

 Thinking that the refusal was due to 

 his experience with the brightly-marked 

 larva of L. chrysiijpus, I offered some 

 dully-coloured green and brown grass- 

 hoppers, which were readily eaten, and 

 after them he also ate the one previously 

 refused. I then offered a larva of Acnea 

 rahira ; he evinced a decided interest in 

 it, but, although it crawled about over his 

 feet, absolutely refused to touch it. This 

 however may have been due to a general- 

 ized impression that all caterpillars were 

 distasteful. 

 January 13. Ccrchneis rupicoloides ate one Catojjsilia 

 florella. A young bird of another species 

 {C. naumanni) accepted a dead Papilio 

 demodocus; for a few moments he seemed 

 undecided where to attack it : then 

 noticing the eye-spots in the hind-wing 

 he promptly pecked them out, afterwards 

 eating the rest. 



„ 16. C. naumanni ate three Terias hrigiita ; 

 both this species and G. rupicoloides 

 refused the Lycoid Prionocerus dimidiatus 

 with unmistakable signs of dislike. 



„ 21. C. naumanni ate one Precis ■j^clasgis, one 

 Axiocerccs harimx, one Terias hrigitta, 

 one Gato'psilia florella, and one Precis 

 sesamus (natalensis form) ^, all with 



