376 Mr. 0. A. K. Marsliall on 



16. Experiments on a Captive Mungoose (ffeoyestes 

 galcra) WITH Insect-food. (G. A. K. M.) 



1899. 

 May 27. Oftbi\'(l a EhojKi/ocainp/d forcstan to a very 

 young female ]\Iungoose (Rerpcstcs galera) ; 

 she rushed at it, but on touching it with 

 her nose drew back sharply (lier eyesight 

 was still but feeble); so I partially cut off 

 its wings and let it flutter on the floor, 

 whereupon she ran at it several times but 

 did not attempt to eat it. I then gave her 

 four T. scncgalcnsis (without wings) which 

 she ate greedily, and on being offered a 

 MyJothris agatliina she promptly seized it, 

 but immediately jumped back so violently 

 that she rolled head over heels. The 

 way she shook her head clearly demon- 

 strated the distastcfulness of the butterfly, 

 and she would not let me bring it any- 

 where near her. I then offered a Bchnois 

 mcscntina, but with the same result; she 

 refused to touch it every time. Thinking 

 this might be due to her experience with 

 the Mi/lofJtris, I put the Bdcnois aside 

 and offered it ten minutes later, when it 

 was eaten with undoubted relish. An 

 Acviea caldarena and A. axina were then 

 refused, bvit without being tasted, the 

 smell being apparently quite sufficient. 

 More than an hour afterwards I again 

 tried her with li. forcstan, but she would 

 not touch it, though whether this was 

 due to fear of its size and violent fluttering, 

 or to some unpleasant smell, I could not 

 well decide; any way she did not attempt 

 to bite it. 

 June 8. Gave mungoose two 7Wias hrigitta, two 

 Tcraroliis ompha/e, and two Belenois seve- 

 rina. All these had their wings cut off 

 and were thrown on the ground, when 

 they were promptly seized and eaten. A 

 Mylothris agcdltina was then offered in 

 the same manner, and even this was eaten. 



