822 MR. R. I. tOCOCK ON THE 



Young larvaj of Vanessa uriicce. 



June 24, 1909. One eaten without hesitation by Brazilian 

 Hangnest, and by Common Mocking Bird ; two by Shama ; two 

 by Orange-headed Ground-Thrush, and one by Harmonious 

 Shrike-Thrush. 



Two taken and tasted but whisked away by Larger Hill Mynah. 



One taken and tasted but dropped by North American Oat-bird, 

 which refused to touch a second. 



One pecked and tasted many times, but finally rejected, by 

 Fantailed Flycatcher, 



The Peacock (Vanessa io). 



May 26, 1909. One fluttered to ground and rested with wings 

 closed. A Fantailed Flycatcher flew down to inspect and was 

 preparing to peck, when the butterfly opened its wings and moved 

 them slowly up and down. The transformation seemed to dis- 

 concert the bird, which made no attempt to peck, but danced 

 round the insect at a distance of about three inches. A Shama 

 and, another Flycatcher, which joined the first, behaved in the same 

 way. A Syrian Bulbul then flew down and drove the three away. 

 After inspecting the butterfly for about half a minute, he pecked 

 the ocellus of the antei-ior wing of the left side ; the second peck 

 struck the ocellus of the anterior wing of the right side ; the third 

 the ocellus of the posterior wing of the left side, tearing a piece 

 out. He was then driven away by a Sun- Bittern, which looked 

 at the butterfly for some two minutes, but made no attempt to 

 peck it, although it excited his interest. I then removed the 

 Bittern ; and the Bulbul returned at once, seized the butterfly by 

 the head and thorax, flew away with it, and devoured it. 



One fell to floor of aviary with Avings closed, and was at once 

 seized by Syrian Bulbul, before its wings opened, and was carried 

 away and eaten. A second Bulbul of this species pursued the 

 first ; but I do not know which of these two birds was the one 

 that ate the io first introduced. 



The two features of interest in the tii'st experiment with this 

 species were, first, the manifest disconcertedness of the thi-ee birds 

 by the sudden display of colour and the slowly waving wings of 

 io (my wife, who was with me, said at once, "' They are afraid 

 of its eyes ") ; and secondly, the consecutive pecking of thi'ee of 

 the ocelli by the Bulbul. It can hardly have been by accident 

 that the ocelli were accurately struck three times running. 



Aug. 21, 1910. A specimen let loose in aviary was chased by 

 a number of Tanagers and other small birds and was caught by a 

 Scarlet Tanager. The latter, however, was robbed by a Pekin 

 Robin, which ate the insect without showing any signs of dislike, 

 the delay of five minutes in finishing it oft" being caused by the 

 difficulty of managing the wings which the bird ultimately broke 

 oft* and left uneaten. 



