580 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton on 



frons, H.jamesoni (spotted blue form), S. ocularia, Cisticola 

 of the above three species, and Estrilda astrild, but ate a 

 bit of porridge. The Macronyx egg, lying near him, was 

 ignored to the end. I placed a small feed of porridge in 

 the cage. 



Preferences (the Bulbul and Crateropus results were quite 

 possibly unreliable, as the eggs were drying) : (1) H.jamesoni 

 (plain blue and spotted blue), Sitagra ocularia^ A. alhifrons, 

 Coliuspasser ardens, E. astrild, Cisticola natalensis, C. semi- 

 torques, C. subruficapilla, and Prinia mystacea — five Ploceids 

 and four Warblers. (2) Macronyx croceus (hard-set) and 

 Serinus icterus. 



Expt. 4. Feb. 4. — This morning I found the bread and 

 porridge eaten, the Macronyx egg still uneaten. I removed 

 it, and at about 10 a.m., having just taken another clutch of 

 M. croceus (slightly set), experimented again. I first gave 

 the rat two small scraps of bread, then a Canary's egg 

 [S. icterus). He refused this most persistently, but accepted 

 and ate a hard-set Bulbul's ; he once more smelt and per- 

 sistently refused the Canary's egg, which had been left 

 in, and this time refused as persistently a fresh Bulbul's 

 egg and a Macronyx egg from the new clutch; refused a 

 Crateropus egg, but readily ate a spotted blue egg of 

 H. jamesoni, and once more refused persistently the Macronyx 

 and Crateropus eggs. I could not re-offer the Bulbul's egg, 

 as the rat had passed over it and broken it. He made no 

 attempt to lick up the contents. I now put in an e^^ of 

 //. jamesoni (spotted blue). He ignored this for some 

 minutes, and I went to lunch. I returned in the middle of 

 the meal — perhaps a quarter of an hour — and, finding it still 

 uneaten, added that of an A. alhifrons. Returning probably 

 twenty minutes later I found this egg completely licked out 

 and the other either half-eaten or half-split — it was over- 

 turned. I added a C. semitorques egg (white with large 

 blotches) and another A. alhifrons. There was considerable 

 delay before either was touched. Finally, I found the 

 A. alhifrons egg nearly completely eaten and the rat now 

 ignoring both. I removed them. 



