PALATABILITY OF SOME BRITISH INSECTS. 821 



flicked away and fell to the ground. The bird made no attempt 

 to recover it. I then again put it on the branch by his side, and 

 on this occasion he pecked at the little stem to which the pupa 

 was attached. A hen Black Tanager was the next to try it. She 

 broke the shell and getting the taste flew away with the pupa and, 

 I think, ate it. At all events she flew up to the top of some 

 brickwoi-k where I could not see her clearly, and presently came 

 down again without the pupa ; and on going up a ladder to look 

 for the pupa, I could find no trace of it. 



One offered to Syrian Bulbul was taken after some scrutiny. 

 The bird flew away with it and pecked it, but seemed greatly 

 bothered and puzzled by the tightness with which it adhered to 

 the twig. He was unable to detach it from the twig, and finally 

 left it. I then ofiered it to a Fantailed Flycatcher ; but 

 could not induce this bird to touch it, although he scrutinised 

 it carefully and was hovering round me the while, apparently 

 remembering that on previous occasions I had given him butter- 

 flies. I then gave it to the Harmonious Shrike-Thrush, which 

 took it, pecked away at it until he broke off the tail-end and ate 

 it. He then pecked off another piece and ate it, showing no sign 

 of dislike. He then left the larger piece; but soon returned, 

 broke it up, and finally ate it piecemeal. 



From watching the behaviour of these birds, I should say that 

 these pupse are unpalatable only to the extent afforded by the hard- 

 ness and toughness of the chitinous integument. The birds that 

 tasted them after breaking the exoskeleton, showed no signs of 

 disliking the flavour.v Those that took them — and the Flycatcher 

 could not be induced even to attempt it — did so after scrutinising 

 them in a way that suggested doubt as to their belonging to the 

 category of eatable things. They did not appear to me to know 

 what they were ; and none of the many insectivorous birds in the 

 aviai-y showed the least sign of eagerness when I first put the 

 pupa on a perch, waiting to see which Avould be the first to come 

 down. It was only when I placed it about a couple of inches 

 from the Shama, a tame and fearless bird, that he took it. The 

 Tanager came, and after her the Bulbul, when they had seen the 

 Shama's attempt, or at all events after the Shama had first tackled 

 it. These birds are accustomed to visitors and keepers bringing 

 food into the aviary ; and I think it probable that the Shama 

 was induced to peck at the pupa merely because it was definitely 

 ofiered to him. 



I suspect that this pupa is protected in the first place by its 

 likeness to things inanimate, and in the second place by the 

 toughness of its integument which does not readily yield to a 

 peck, and is quite in keeping with the general impression of life- 

 lessness suggested by the colour, shape, and immobility of the 

 whole pupa. I may add that I did not see the pupse move when 

 pecked by birds, although they did so when handled by myself. 



