838 



MR. R. I, POCOCK ON THE 



Pteo'ostichus (Steropios) 'inadidus. 



July 31, 1909. One smelt and refused by three Meerkats. 

 Seized and eaten by White-tailed Mongoose, This Mongoose is 

 a large animal appi-oaching a cat in size. 



One seized and bolted by Silver Pheasant. 



One pecked twice by Elliot's Pheasant, but escaped into the 

 gi'ass unhurt. 



One seized and eaten by Black-headed Sibia. 



Harpalus ruficornis. 

 July 21, 1909. One pecked at twice by Silver Pheasant but 

 not eaten, the bird taking no further interest in it after the 

 second peck. The beetle escaped unhurt. 



Group Beachtelytra. 



Devil's Coach-horse or Cock-tail Beetle {Ocypus olens). 



(Uniformly velvety black in colour.) 



July 31, 1909. One smelt and rejected at once by three 

 Meerkats, one Mongoose, one Banded Mongoose, and by the 

 White-tailed Mongoose that had just before eaten the Timarcha 

 (see p. 842). This Mongoose started away from the scent in a 

 way that reminded me of the behaviour of a pei-son who finds a 

 bottle of smelling salts unexpectedly pungent. 



Offered the same specimen to Harmonious Shrike-Thrush, 

 which tackled it at once, but while pulling it to pieces was 

 robbed by the Dial Bird, and this bird in turn was robbed by a 

 Spotted Bower Bird, which ate it. 



Note. — The difference between the Yiverrine mammals and the 

 birds in their behaviour towards the Ground Beetles (Carabidje 

 and Ocypus olens) was very marked, and is to be in a measure 

 explained, I think, by the wide difference in their powers of 

 smell. The beetles appear to be relished by the birds ; but to be 

 nauseous to the mammalia. This perhaps is natural ; because 

 the Passerine birds would seldom come across the Ground Beetles, 

 which are cryptozoic and largely nocturnal. The mammals like 

 the Meerkats, and the Mongooses, on the other hand, must 

 commonly find them as they grub about and hunt for food on 

 the ground. Therefore one would expect pi'otective attributes, 

 if existing at all in these beetles, to be of a kind to guard them 

 against being eaten by Meerkats or insectivorous mammals of 

 similar habits. 



The Silver Pheasant which ate these beetles is essentially a 

 diurnal feeder and would seldom find nocturnal beetles. After 

 seeing him eat the Pterostichi as if they were large seeds, I do 

 not understand why he did not eat? the Harpalus ruficornis 

 offered to him some time previously*. 



* Mr. G. A. K. Marshall suggested at the meeting when this paper was read that 

 the Harpalus had retained while the Pterostichi had discharged their acrid juices. 



