the Coloration of Eggs. ^77 



eggs had been eaten clean out, but the Bulbul's remained 

 untouched and continued so. After waiting a few minutes 

 in vain for further developments, I added a fresh egg of 

 Colius striatus minor and withdrew to a distance. I saw tbe 

 rat turn round and try it, apparently lapping, but quickly 

 turn away again. I went away for five minutes and on my 

 return found the rat^s head still averted from the egg and 

 the latter still full. I noticed that a Hyphantornis egg 

 (spotted blue type) that I was about to add was probably 

 slightly addled. I put it in with the rest, nevertheless, to 

 see how it would be treated, and beside it a perfectly fresh 

 egg of the same species and form, also a Coiiuspasser egg, 

 and again withdrew. 



On returning five to ten minutes later I found the addled 

 Hyphantornis egg and the Coly egg overturned and their 

 contents spilling out over the ground, but the other two 

 eggs had been cleanly licked out. I again waited three or 

 four minutes, and as the rat continued to take no notice of 

 the rejected eggs, I added an egg each of H. jamesoni 

 (spotted blue type) and of Crateropus kirki, first giving the 

 rat a very small scrap of bread, which he accepted from the 

 forceps and ate with greater eagerness than he hud shown 

 for any egg. 



Twenty minutes later, finding the two eggs still untouched, 

 I tried to ascertain how far he was from actual repletion- 

 point. He ate three or four small scraps of cold maize- 

 porridge, a fair-sized scrap of bread^ a little papaw, and some 

 banana — all readily, especially perhaps the last, and the 

 first least, then refused all. 



Preferences shown: (1) Partly incubated eggs of Am- 

 blyofpiza alhifrons and Coiiuspasser ardens, fresh eggs of 

 the same two species, and a fresh egg of Hyphantornis 

 jamesoni (spotted blue form). (2) Partly incubated eggs of 

 Pycnonotus layardi and freshly laid Colius striatus minor 

 (only fresh C. ardens and fresh H. jamesoni were tested 

 against the latter, however). 



The above rejections and acceptances, and, finally, rejec- 

 tions of spotted blue Hyphantornis and Crateropus kirki, took 



SEK. X. VOL. IV. 2 R 



