854 MR. R. 1. POCOCK ON THE 



The third time it was offered he refused it, and immediately after- 

 wards refused the fly. 



Bee offered to Sulphury Tyrant. I importuned the bird into 

 taking it from my tingeis no fewer than eight times, and each 

 time he flicked it away. The ninth time he refused to take it, 

 and then refused the fly. 



Bee offered to Black-winged Grackle, which took it at once, but 

 dropped it. Twice more he took it and the last time flew a short 

 distance away and persevered with it for about three-quarters of 

 a minute, then leaving it returned to me ; he refused the next 

 bee I offered, and then refused the fly. 



Bee oflfered to Silver Pheasant was at once taken, put on the 

 ground, pecked and crushed almost past recognition, but left 

 uneaten. The bird then took from my fingers three more speci- 

 mens in succession, but dropped them uncrushed from his beak 

 at once. The fifth he looked at, but would not touch, and then 

 also refused the fly after inspecting it. 



The experiments described above with the Lion Mai'moset, the 

 Douracouli, the Turkey, and the E-eeves's and Silver Pheasants, 

 which would not touch either the bee or the fly after some seconds 

 of intent inspection, do not prove that the bee was known to be 

 distasteful, and that the fly was rejected in consequence. That 

 may be the explanation, The Douracouli, however, is nocturnal 

 and probably does not naturally feed upon diurnal-flying insects. 

 In the case of the Marmoset, the experiment does, however, 

 suggest very forcibly that the ArctophUa was not recognised as 

 closely allied to the bluebottles the animal was hunting. The 

 other experiments speak for themselves. 



BomhifjS hortoruiiij Volucella bombylans, and 

 Chilosia illustrata. 



July 31, 1909. Oflfered livixig Bombtos hortorum to the Bra- 

 zilian Hangnest that had just pulled the dead Bombus terrestris 

 to pieces. He took it directly, but instantly flicked it away and 

 wiped his beak. The bee then crawled up the bai-s of the cage, 

 and he again pecked and flicked it away. It was now too injured 

 to crawl although still alive, so I picked it up and offered it in 

 my fingers. He took it again and flicked it away. Twice more 

 the trial was made, with the same result, although he was 

 patently tiring of the trials. The next time he refused to 

 touch it after inspection. I then substituted a dead Volucella 

 bombylans. He inspected it, but did not touch it, and hopped up 

 to the top perch. 



I then offered the nearly dead Bombus to another specimen of 

 the same bird. He took it from my fingers three times in 

 succession, and each time flicked it away. The fourth time he 

 refused to touch it. I then substituted the same specimen of 

 Volucella bombylans, but after looking at it he would not take it. 



