326 On the Acceptance or Rejection of Insects hy Birds. 



fore took it out and threw it into the Blue-Eobin aviary ; the 

 cock bird immediately flew down, seized it, and was so much 

 pleased with its flavour that, although the hen begged for it, 

 he would not give it up, but devoured it himself. The 

 young birds were hatched during the first week of July, but 

 only one was eventually reared ; this nestling was almost 

 entirely fed upon flies, spiders, large and small (including 

 numerous full-grown females of Tegenaria atrica^ one of the 

 most repulsive-looking of our British species) , white butterflies, 

 numerous examples of Pterosttchus madidus, moths (including 

 Agrotis saucia and Zeuzera cescuU), mealworms and small 

 earthworms : the only moth I was doubtful about was the 

 wood-leopard [Zeuzera cesculi) ; the old birds ate several 

 Bpecimens, but I did not see them disgorge them for the 

 benefit of the young. 



On the 16th August I obtained a full-grown caterpillar of 

 Cerura vinula, a specimen of which, it will be remembered, 

 was greedily eaten some years ago by my Nightingales. I 

 turned it into the Blue-Robin aviary, and the hen flew down, 

 seized it in the middle, and carried it to the ground, then 

 started back suddenly as if stung (possibly the larva had 

 ejected acid into her mouth or eyes) ; she then examined it 

 curiously, pecked at it cautiously, springing back after each 

 peck, and finally flew away. The cock and young bird now 

 flew down and examined it, the former pecking it and jumping 

 back several times, evidently half afraid of it ; then both flew 

 away, and I took it out. It was quite uninjured, so I turned 

 it into the next aviary, when the Weavers and Nonpareils 

 flew down and formed a circle round it ; they walked round 

 and round with outstretched necks for two or three minutes, 

 the hen Nonpareil alone venturing to peck it once ; then all 

 flew away simultaneously. The caterpillar never once put 

 itself into what is supposed to be a " terrifying attitude," but 

 crawled like a great gaudily-coloured slug along the ground. 

 I now turned it in with the Letothri'x, and they jumped 

 round and pecked at it, but found it too tough a morsel ; I 

 do not think they were a bit afraid of it. I next offered it to 

 one of my Blackbirds, but he sidled away along his perch 

 and looked in a contrary direction. Lastly I put the cater- 

 pillar into the cage containing a Great Tit, and he flew down 

 at once, seized and tore it to pieces, eating it with relish. 



At first sight it would appear that, judging by these 

 experiments, the caterpillar of Cenira vinula enjoyed almost 

 perfect immunity from destruction ; but when we consider 

 that the birds which rejected it were, with the exception of 

 the Blackbird, only those which would never come in contact 



