Some Habits and Instincts of Young Birds. 41 



others of white of egg. I cut little bits of orange-peel of 

 about the same size as the pieces of yolk, and one of these 

 was soon seized, but at once relinquished, the chick 

 shaking his head. Seizing another, he held it for a 

 moment in the bill, but then dropped it and scratched at 

 the base of his beak. That was enough ; he could not 

 again be induced to seize a piece of orange-peel. The 

 obnoxious material was now removed, and pieces of yolk 

 of egg substituted, but they were left untouched, being 

 probably taken for orange-peel. Subsequently, he looked 

 at the yolk with hesitation, but presently pecked doubt- 

 fully, not seizing, but merely touching. Then he pecked 

 again, seized, and swallowed. 



To some other chicks I threw cinnabar larvae, distasteful 

 caterpillars conspicuous by alternate rings of black and 

 golden-yellow. They were seized at once, but dropped 

 uninjured ; the chicks wiped their bills a sign of distaste 

 and seldom touched the caterpillars a second time. The 

 cinnabar larvae were then removed, and thrown in again 

 towards the close of the day. Some of the chicks tried 

 them once, but they were soon left. The next day the 

 young birds were given brown loopers and green cabbage- 

 moth caterpillars. These were approached with some 

 suspicion, but presently one chick ran off with a looper, 

 and was followed by others, one of which stole and ate 

 it. In a few minutes all the caterpillars were cleared off. 

 Later in the day they were given some more of these edible 

 caterpillars, which were eaten freely; and then some 

 cinnabar larvae. One chick ran, but checked himself, and, 

 without touching the caterpillar, wiped his bill a memory 

 of the nasty taste being apparently suggested by association 

 at sight of the yellow-and-black caterpillar. Another 

 seized one, and dropped it at once. A third subsequently 

 approached a cinnabar as it crawled along, gave the danger 



