.( 17 ) 



by hand, but I hesitated some time before doing so, as they 

 have a marvellous resemblance to the large blue-black, orange- 

 legged Hymenoptera which are so common throughout this 

 country. I wonder if they are a known species'? I suppose 

 they must be as they are quite the most striking-looking both 

 in colour and size that I think I have ever seen amongst 

 Diptera. I am sorry to say that I was unable to ascertain 

 what was the nature of their association with the Rhino." 



Professor Poulton said that it was extremely satisfactory 

 that Mr. Neave had now been able for the first time to put on 

 record the association of a fly of the genus Spalhicera with 

 RJdnoceros hicornis. 

 xxxi] 



The Bulbul feeding its young on specially protected 

 INSECTS. — Professor Poulton communicated an interesting 

 observation sent to him from the Nilgiris by Mi\ H. Leslie 

 Andrewes : — 



' ' Barwoocl Estate, Ouynd P. 0. , Nilgiris, 



"March 19, 1908. 



" This afternoon I was sitting under the veranda, with my 

 head within about five feet of a red-whiskered bulbul's nest 

 containing two young birds about five days old. One of the 

 parent birds arrived with the very last butterfly I should have 

 expected it to have any dealings with, viz., Acrxa violee. It sat 

 on a stalk of the tall clump of cannas in which the nest is 

 built, eyeing me for nearly a minute. I noticed that the 

 butterfly was well in the bird's bill, firmly held, with the wings 

 in considerable disari^ay. The body must have been fairly well 

 crushed, so that the bulbul must have been fully alive to the 

 flavour. I put my head within about three feet of the nest 

 to see how the young birds took it. The bird went down and 

 pushed the butterfly well into a youngster's throat, and it was 

 swallowed immediately, wings and all, and the young bird 

 settled quietly down without seeming in the slightest degree 

 upset. To judge from Marshall's S. African notes the 

 Acreeas are in anything but good odour as food, even when 

 the bird or insect to which they are given is hungry, so that 

 I was rather surprised to find bii-ds voluntarily feeding their 



