"28S MR. C. F. M. SWYNNEKTON ON THE 



as also a smallei' one, probably the S , this time without wings, tasted and rejected 

 and then refused persistently to taste again a " red-cross " Lygceus bug, without 

 the usual bug smell but with a very faint smell of its own. I was a little doubtful 

 of the value of the tasting, so I brought the usual grasshopper tin into view of the 

 cage, having previously inserted the bug into it. The bird, as I knew it would, 

 recognized the tin, at once came forward eagerly and ate readily and apparently 

 almost without tasting the first five very small grasshoppers that I offered. I now 

 quickly offered the bug. The bird accepted it in all confidence and without 

 troubling to first glance at it, but at once, in the very act of throwing up her head 

 to jerk it into the back of her throat, recognized it as unpleasant, and at once 

 checking herself flung it to the other side of the cage. I twice again played the 

 same trick, oflfering first a very small grasshopper which was eagerly eaten, and 

 then the bug, which was each time taken as thoughtlessly as at first, but at once 

 recognized by taste and flung away with unmistakable signs of dislike. 



I then gave ten more very small grasshoppers, after which Papilio lyceus, Papilio 

 dardanus S , and Eurytela dryope were readily accepted and eaten. Not replete 

 enough for my purpose. 



After seven more the bird rejected Eurytela dryope (it had, however, owing to 

 its fluttering, for I had not removed the wings, considerable difficulty in getting 

 it into good position for swallowing — hence probably the rejection), but ate Neptis 

 agatha^ and after it, readily enough, Eurytela dryope, first, as usual, crushing each. 



After the next seven small grasshoppers a Papilio lyceus was ci-ushed a good deal 

 and eaten with considerable deliberation. A Papilio dardanus was crushed and 

 fairly readily swallowed (slightly more readily to all appearance than the Papilio 

 lyceus), and a Eurytela dryope was persistently refused without tasting. The bird 

 then accepted and crushed a Leuceronia thalassina S , but made no attempt to 

 swallow it, her attention being diverted by a shrike [Dryoscopus cubla), which at 

 that moment had struck up its loud " Ti'ek-whi-wheoo " notes in a tree close by, 

 and was being answered by the captive bulbuls. This went on for three or four 

 minutes, the roller all the time craning forward and listening intently, with her 

 head on one side and the uneaten Leuceronia in the point of her bill. The shrike 

 now suddenly stopped its song and the rollei', after listening for a second longer, 

 once more woke up, and briskly resuming her usual position tasted well and this 

 time definitely rejected the butterfly. She then obstinately refused to taste Papilio 

 lyoixis,\i\x.\, recognized, accepted, and ate a Pyrameis cardui, though obviously without 

 appetite, ignored an Antanartia schceneia for a few moments, but changing her 

 mind tasted it and, evidently fully approving, crushed and swallowed it. She next 

 similarly refused a yellow Gatopsilia florella $ , but then taking it from the forceps 

 played with it for some seconds, as usual tossing it into the air and catching it, 

 and finally crushed and swallowed it. She played similarly with a c? Gatopsilia 

 florella and an Antanartia but ended by dropping each, ignored, then accepted, 

 crushed and swallowed a Precis cehrene, and after it the Antanartia, both with 

 evident lack of appetite but no sign of dislike, crushed well and held, crushed again 

 and held, then half swallowed but brought up again, crushed and held, and finally 

 tossed aside a Papilio hip)pocoon (she very evidently lacked the space I'ather than 

 the will), persistently ignored a Gatopsilia florella S , and crushed and tossed care- 

 lessly away into the aii' a Ilamanumida dcedalus, afterwards lef using it, as also a 



