(279), and I have preserved the stomach contents (279r/) and 

 contents of intestine (27<)/>) in about 40% spirit. 



" In the course of the afternoon I saw another bird about 

 the same size but of another species dashing out in un- 

 successful pursuit of a CatopsiUa, and a third bird, which as 

 before swooped out from a clump of flowers after another of 

 the butterflies, but without any luck. 



" 11th December. — I saw this morning a third species of 

 bird, rather larger than the other two so far seen butterfly 

 catching — a black one with forked tail and a bright crimson 

 iris — dart out and catch a CatopsiUa, which it ate all except 

 one wing which I could- not find. 



" I have devoted some time to-day to a more critical study 

 of the CatopsiUa wings picked up under the trees near the 

 house, and have discovered a most interesting point — -that 

 many actually exhibit a V-shaped mark (due to denudation of 

 the scales) towards the costal base, often directly across the 

 nervures and sometimes rather obliquely, the marks corre 

 sponding on both sides of the wing. This is unquestionably 

 and I am sure you must agree, the mark of a bird's bill, and 

 in one or two cases the marks are particularly instructive, 

 because one can see that the bird's first attempt to jixill off 

 the wing was unsuccessful, the bill having slipped, and that 

 then a second attempt which must have been more successful 

 was made. I have labelled many of the specimens which 

 show this mark particularly well, in the series (303, 304, 305, 

 306), and I invite your attention especially to a headless 

 butterfly in series (303) which shows, across the base of one 

 hind-wing, a beautifully sharply defined impress of a bird's 

 beak. 



" In cases in which there are linear markings only across 

 the wing it must almost necessarily be conceded that these 

 have been produced by birds, if for no other reason than 

 that the marks are paralleled in the wings which I actually 

 saw torn off by the bird. I shall await with considerable 

 interest your examination of the Zomba series of wings, 

 comprising far more varied butterflies, though, even if these 

 marks are not shown, it by no means follows that they were 

 not kiUed by birds, for the markings may have become 



