the Relative Edibility of Insects. 45 
have only seen the beetle feeding on the yellow flower- 
heads of a common Composite, where it is, of course, 
conspicuous, but among green foliage it might be con- 
cealed. When it was offered to M. he did not eat it 
at once, but took it and ran up to his perch, where 
he had a good look at it, then ate it with no sign of 
dislike. 
Series Be.- Obs. 504-510. Jan. 27.—I took M. out hunt- 
ing, but he was not keen. 
Obs. 510. Sp. 172.—Pierid, Belenois mesentina : as 
M. walked along he saw this white butterfly in the 
position of complete repose on a grass stem. He ran 
to it, pounced on it with both hands, and ate it with 
gusto. 
(Note.—His manner of catching the butterfly strongly 
suggested an instinctive method of catching insects 
commonly eaten. He does not catch grasshoppers like 
that.) 
Series Bf. Obs. 511-529. Jan. 28.—At 5 p.m. M. very 
hungry for insects, though he had had plenty of 
vegetable food. 
Obs. 516. Sp. 250.—Tenebrionid, Anchophthalmus 
clathratus Gerst. : a dead black, flat beetle found under 
a log. I put it down for M., who looked at it and 
twice bent down to nibble it, drawing back each time 
with a little shake of his head as if it had bitten 
him, after which he left it alone. I found that this 
beetle stridulates by vigorous nodding movements, the 
“neck ’’ rubbing against the thorax. 
Obs. 529. Sp. 257.—Mutillid, Dolichomutilla gui- 
neensis F.: a large black species with two white spots 
at base of abdomen and two at apex. M. with great 
eagerness seized it out of the box and bundled it into 
his mouth, getting his hands and lips stung. He 
shook his head and ran about, and the Mutillid fell 
out of his mouth, but he picked it up and ate it 
greedily, though for a few minutes afterwards he ran 
about shaking his head and wiping his mouth with 
his paws. 
(Note.—M. must have been very hungry, for after 
eating 14 grasshoppers and 5 other insects, and having 
been badly stung, he picked up the Mudtilla again 
and ate it. I had no more insects left to test him 
with.) 
