EXPLANATION OF FORM AND COLOURING. 337 



elegans $ , showing the usual suspicion of its smell, accepted, crushed and ate a 

 small Oetoniid, Leucocelis ichthyurus (it elipped out of the point of the bill the 

 first time, but on being re-oftered was taken more firmly and easily crushed), 

 readily accepted and swallowed a Mycalesis ccmipina, and crushed without difficulty 

 and ate a Copris orion d" . It was rather a large specimen with an unusually 

 projecting horn, and though it was seized well back in the mouth with the horn 

 pointing upwards no sign of discomfort was shown during the crushing process. 



[_M. campina, Copris orion 6 , and Leucocelis ichthywms were preferred to Dorylus, 

 the isopod, Zonocerus elegans $ , Mylahris 22, M, oculata, X. superha, Alesia 

 hidentata, and 0. rhinoceros, though M. campina and G. orion can perhaps hardly 

 be regarded as fairly tested against any but the first two of these, and the 

 Gatharsvas should have been further tried. The Xanihospilopteryx was at least 

 far less obviously unpleasant than the others.] 



Exp. 14:0.^ Jam6a7-y 25. Tried and rejected with signs of dislike two Phyto- 

 phagous beetles, Megalognatha rufiventris and Exosoma suturale. 



Exp. 141. — Jamuiry 31. Very hungry indeed. Three or four times seized an 

 Anachalcos spectahilis, but it each time slipped from her bill and she refused with 

 an air of irritation to have anything more to do with it. She then crushed well 

 and ate the Eumolpid beetle, Gory nodes dejeani, as also Megalognatha rufiventris 

 and Exosoma suturale (all three had been some days in pill-boxes and were 

 doubtless not up to their full strength), tasted and at once flung away a Coccinellid, 

 No. 84, ate after much crushing and some hesitation a Phyt. beetle, No. 145, 

 with yellowish exudation (these two were freshly captured), refused a Coccinellid 

 like it {Epilachna ^-oculata, Kolbe), at last leaning forward to it, but withdrawing 

 again without tasting, refused without tasting a Mylahris oculata ( d ), tasted with 

 hesitation and rejected a Danaida chrysippios with wings, did her level best to 

 crush a large weevil, Brachycerus congestus, but failed utterly, as she did twice 

 again on re-presentation. After this she refused to have any more to do with it, 

 but comparatively easily crushed and ate a Copris orion S . 



\_Order of preference : — 



(a) 1. Corynodes dejeani, Megalognatha rufiventris, and Exosoma 



suturale (all below full strength), and Phytophagon 145 

 (fresh and juicy). 

 2. Anachalcos spectabilis (hard and rather glossy), Coccinellid 84, 



(b) 1 . Copris orion (^ . 



2. Brachycerus congestus (ha,rd), D. chrysippus, M. oculata J, 

 Epilachna A-oculata, Coccinellid 84, and Anachalcos 

 spectabilis. 



The bird's great hunger must be kept in mind in assessing the probable value of 

 the defences that caused refusal.] 



Exp. 142. — February 2. Hungry. Offered a bright Buprestid, PsHoptera cognata, 

 she accepted and tried to crush it, but the beetle at once slipped from her bill. This 



