EXPLANATION OF FORM AND COLOURING. 297 



P. darclanus $ f. hippocoon was placed in grade 1, but possibly as the result of 

 special stimulation. Still it must be very high grade (unless, indeed, the eatings 

 of Syntomis show that the lowest grades can tal<e high places as the result of 

 stimulation). 



/■'. archesia f., P. antiloT>e, and P. elgiva were eaten up to ceSrewe-refusing 

 point, but immediately after a P. natcdensis f., which may, of course, have 

 stimulated.] 



Exp. 77. — Aitgust 31. Hungry; refused with a shake of the head, evidently 

 remembering it from last night, a Syntomis cerhera., but on my continuing to offer 

 it tasted and rejected it. These moths are present in special numbers on the 

 flowers of a Vernonia podocoma standing alone in the open pasture-land. Readily 

 ate a Terias, crushed and rejected a second Syntomid, but readily enough ate a. 

 Mylothris (like rzteppelli, but with paler orange), again tasted, this time slightly, 

 another /Syntomis and readily ate a S Mylothris agathina, crushed and rejected 

 a Mylothris agathina and a fourth Syntom.is, refused absolutely to even touch a 

 Nychitona medusa, crushed and at once rejected a blister beetle, Mylahris, in the 

 act of exuding its yellow juices, and thereafter refused obstinately and with shakes 

 of the head to taste it again. 



She then eagerly ate two small grasshoppers, tasted and rejected, then refused 

 to to\ich Mylothris agathina S , but readily ate a large pale Terias. 



After two more small grasshoppers she readily ate a Papilio angolanus and after 

 six more a second, this time after much more deliberate crushing ; crushed and 

 rejected, then refused without tasting, an Aletis monteironis with Myrmeleonid- 

 like smell, came up eagerly but a little doubtfully to take a Phymateus viridipes with 

 an tmusually large supply of froth from behind the last pair of legs, but showed 

 distinct suspicion of it on its suddenly displaying its brilliantly-coloured wings. 

 She seized it, nevertheless, but the wings were greatly in her way and, after one or 

 two ineff'ectual attempts to get into position for battering, she threw it away. I 

 reoffered it, and this time the bird obtained a better grip, but after crushing it 

 somewhat again rejected it. 1 now removed the wings and the bird crushed and 

 battered it and seemed greatly inclined to eat it, but in the end once more 

 abandoned it. 



Twenty minutes later she twice refused, but then changing her mind crushed 

 and readily ate a Terias hrigitta (?), and crushed and rejected with marked dislike 

 the Aletis monteironis. 



She now suddenly flew down, seized the Phymateus that was moving about on 

 the bottom of the cage, and returned with it to her usual perch, whei'e she crushed 

 and battered it to a thorough pulp, the abdomen coming off' in the process. Finally, 

 the thoi'ax, after two or three ineffectual eflforts, each followed by further battering, 

 was swallowed, but the bird refused to have anything to say to the abdomen which 

 I extracted and offered through the bars. 



Three minutes later she accepted it, crushed it well, and twice nearly swallowed 

 it, the second time getting it halfway down her throat. It was brought up again 

 however, and rejected. On my twice reoff'ering it, it was each time taken and at 



