the Color atio7i of Egys. 579 



same corner. I added eggs of A. albifrons, C. ardens, Cisti- 

 cola semitorques and natalensis, Macromjx croceus, Prinia 

 mystacea, and Estrilcla astrild, at the same time removing 

 the Crateropus e^^ and those of P. layardi and the Canary, 

 and replacing the blue Hyphantornis egg by one of the 

 spotted blue form. 



In the early afternoon all still remained uneaten, though 

 the rat ate a scrap of bread with the greatest eagerness. 



Preferences shown : (1) A. albifrons, C. kirki, and 

 Hyphantornis jamesoni (spotted blue). (2) P. layardi. 

 C. semitorques was also probably preferred to both P. layardi 

 and S. icterus; and, after clianging his mind and eating the 

 latter, the rat showed signs of great irritation and refused 

 all eggs, tiiough probably far from repletion. Once more 

 the early rejections were of a very decided character. 



Expt. 3. Later experiment (8 p.m.). — Found, all eggs 

 eaten, except the hard-set Macronyx. The shell of this 

 was much broken, but little or none of the contents seemed 

 missing. I added the Canary^s egg. This was persistently 

 ignored. I added the remains of the BulbuPs, now, however, 

 commencing to dry. This was eaten, but the Canary's was 

 still persistently refused. The rat readily ate the remains 

 of the Crateropus egg (also drying slightly, but less than the 

 BulbuFs), repeatedly and persistently refused the Canary's, 

 readily ate an egg of Estrilda astrild, repeatedly and per- 

 sistently refused the Canary's^ ate readily the blue Hyphan- 

 tornis egg, repeatedly and persistently refused the Canary's, 

 ate readily one each of P. mystacea and of Cisticola sub- 

 ruficapilla (finely speckled), refused persistently a second 

 Canary's egg of the same clutch (the first had just been 

 given to the lemur), ate readily a C. semitorques egg 

 (blotched) ; tasted the second Canary egg on my bringing it 

 again to his notice and rejected it, but readily ate an e^^ of 

 Cisticola natalensis (finely speckled) ; refused with much 

 apparent annoyance, biting ray fingers and the forceps, the 

 Canary egg, but this time also refused one of Prinia mystacea, 

 two in turn of Coliuspasser ardens, and one each of A. albi- 



2r3 



