738 LT.-COL. N. MANDERS ON THE 



somewhat alarmed at its size, killed it and, after the usual difficulty 

 with the wings, swallowed it. It immediately captured and ate a 

 second, third, and fourth ; this last was a very vigorous insect and 

 fluttered a good deal before it succumbed. The bird was then 

 frightened and flew away, but carried the Eupleea with it ; it took 

 quite another ten minutes to get rid of the wings, and during 

 the process it twice flew ofl" to capture small flies ; it eventually 

 swallowed it. The D. chrysippus was, I have no doubt, eaten 

 by a Calotes which ran out of the grass close by where I had 

 put it. 



22.10.09. Put down 2 Euplceas, one dead and one moribund, 

 1 Hypolimnas bolina cT dead with wings closed, and 3 H. misi])- 

 pus S alive and all lively. The young Robin immediately flew 

 down and tackled the Euplcea, mangled it for some time and then 

 dropped it and flew away ; it returned shortly afterwards, picked 

 it up and flew away with it. Directly after, another young bird 

 flew off with and devoured the other Etiplcea. This attracted the 

 notice of the old birds, one of which, I think the cock, flew down, 

 but before he could seize a butterfly was hustled off by his mate, 

 who picked up two H. misippus and flew oft" with them. The 

 one H. onisippus and H. bolina were left. 



26.10.09. Put down H. misijjpus S 2, H. bolina $ 1, Jimonia 

 {Precis) almana 2, Pyravieis carclui and Catopsilia pyranthi, all 

 with wings on one side removed. The H. misippus fluttered most 

 and attracted the attention of Calotes versicolor, Avhich pounced on 

 and ate both of them ; something then frightened it ofi". Next 

 an old cock Magpie Robin caught sight of the H. bolina, seized and 

 killed it after a lively chase, and finally disposed of it. It was a 

 very long time beating oft' the wings and made many attempts to 

 swallow the fly, before it was finally successful. Three or foui- 

 times I thought the bird was going to leave it altogether. After 

 swallowing the fly, it went off and drank at the runnel close by. 

 Shortly afterwards, a young one of the same species caught sight 

 of the Junonia and captui'ed it ; this disturbed P. cardtd close by, 

 and the bird dashed from one to the other, not able to make up 

 its mind which to take, when the old hen bird came and tried to 

 get one, but the youngster was too sharp for her and managed to 

 swallow both. I should have said that this bird hopped over the 

 Catopsilia, which was moribund and motionless, to seize the Junonia. 



Note. I have now little doubt that so long as the butterfl}^ is 

 motionless, resting, as these mutilated butterflies generally do, 

 with their wings expanded, they do not attract attention ; but 

 directly one moves, whatever the species happens to be, it is the one 

 to be seized and eaten, even though so-called palatable species are 

 close by. All these butterflies are flying commonly in the garden, 

 but I have never seen them molested. 



28.10.09. Put down H. misippus S 2, £J. core 2, Catopsilia 

 pyranthi 2, Terias hecabe 1. The Robins came for them the 

 moment I went off; the old cock bird seized one Euplaa and made 

 off with it, and the young biixl the other ; this latter, after 



