PALATABILITY OF SOME BRITISH INSECTS. 819 



allowing himself to be robbed of half of it by another bird of the 

 same species. The two finally finished it between them. 



One given to a Shama, which after pecking and tasting it for 

 a long time, with much headshaking, left it. It was then tasted 

 by a Wood-8wallow, which left it after one peck. The Shama 

 then tried it again, but left it. Then a Red-vented Bulbul took 

 it, but soon di-opped it. The Shama then tried it again and 

 ended by eating it. This Shama was the same bird that ate the 

 CoGcinella 7 -punctata (p. 846). 



One given to Kagu, which after sevei"al attempts left it ; and 

 immediately afterwards greedily ate the larva of a Noctiia (p. 835). 

 This same Kagu ate Twiarcha teneh'icosa. 



One taken by Green Hangnest, which at the time was greedily 

 eating mealworms. The bird finally ate it, but evidently did not 

 much like it, putting it down several times, and wiping it in the 

 sand. 



One given to Pearl-spotted Owl, which dropped it at once. 



One given to Butcher Crow, which dropped it directly ; but 

 afterwards picked it up and swallowed it whole. Immediately 

 afterwards, however, he vomited it up and left it on the bottom 

 of the cage. 



One smelt, but not touched by Common Marmoset, and by 

 Capuchin. 



One eagerly eaten by Meerkat. 



Sept. 21, 1910. Larvje of the same, fed on cabbage (Brassicce). 



Taken and eaten by : — 



Elliot's Pheasant, Reeves's Pheasant, and Silver Pheasant. 

 Vulturine Guinea Fowl. Crested Guinea Fowl. Ludwig's 

 Bustard. Vigors's Bustard. S. American Thicknee. 

 Oariama. Crested Curassow. Nigerian Ground - Horn- 

 bill. 

 Also by Meerkats and Banded Mongoose. 



Tasted but rejected by : — Shama, Red- vented Bulbul, Green 

 Hangnest, Black Hornbill, Elate Hornbill, Trumpeter, Yarrell's 

 Curassow, Globose Curassow, Crested Curassow, and Red- 

 tailed Guan. 



Notes. — The nature of the food of the larvse did not appear to 

 aflfect their taste. The Green Hangnest, it is true, refused larvee 

 fed on cabbage, having a week earlier eaten one fed on TrojKeolum, 

 but the bii'd was not eager for the latter, and I do not think this 

 refusal of the former can be taken as strong evidence that he 

 found them more unpalatable than the others. It is interesting 

 that the Pheasants and Guinea Fowl, that is to say, Asiatic and 

 African Gallinaceous birds, ate the larvfe eagerly, while the 

 S. American Curassows and Guans, with the exception of one 

 Crested Curassow, refused them after many trials, and much head- 

 shaking. One Curassow eagerly ate the larva of the Noctua 

 (p. 835) after refusing that of P. brassicce. 



