338 ME. C. F. M. SWYKNERTON ON THE 



happened four or five times, and the bird thei-eafter refused to toucli it again. 

 She had made no impression on it. She then accepted a Ohrysomelid beetle 

 {Horatopyga), but it is distinctly hard and slipped from the point of her bill as 

 soon as pressure was applied. On my reofi'ering it, it was seized more firmly, 

 crushed well without appreciable difficulty, and swallowed in spite of its rather 

 strong smell. The bird then tasted and at once i-ejected a Lycus, probably 

 constrictus, readily accepted, crushed, and ate anotlier Horatopyga, tasted and 

 rejected (after a refusal without tasting in each case) a Mylabris oculata, a 

 Coccinellid No. 84, and a Zonocerus elegans (adult 5 ), and readily accepted another 

 Horatopyga. It was again, however, seized with the extreme tip of the bill and it 

 slip[)ed away, and I was unable to find it to reofi'er it. I then gave her a number 

 of grasshojjpers, aftei" which she readily ate a P. angolanus, a Teracolus, and, to my 

 surprise, a Terias. 



[1. Horatopyga sp. (protected to some slight extent by hardness and 



gloss), bitter grasshopper, and perhaps P. angolanus, Teracolus 



sp., and Terias. 

 2. Mylahris oculata, Coccinellid (84), Zonocerus elegans 5 , Lycus 



prob. constrictus, Psiloptera cognata (hardness and gloss).] 



Exp. 143. — Later in the day she readily ate a Gorynodes dejeani (freshly 

 captured), tasted and at once rejected a Lycus, probably constrictus, and refused 

 persistently to taste a Coccinellid (84). I then placed a varied handful of 

 Orthoptera, etc., in the cage, and the bird at once descended, ate a considerable 

 number of them, and returned once more to her favourite perch a.pparently 

 satisfied. She nevertheless readily ate ten more small grasshoppers which I picked 

 out and ofiered by hand, refused, then tasted and rejected a Terias, but very 

 readily ate a Phrissura isokani and a Byhlia. 



After five more grasshopjDers she refused, then twice took in her bill and dropped 

 an E. hiarbas, wings and all, being apparently very suspicious of it, or disinclined, 

 but the third time definitely crushed it and swallowed it without further hesitation, 

 refused P. angolanus without tasting, tasted well and swallowed a Teracolus 

 (same sp. as other) with no sign of dislike, crushed well and swallowed the 

 P. angolanus, accepted very readily and at once swallowed an E. hiarhas, refused, 

 then doubtfully accepted, but ate a B. severina, took and rejected a B. mesentina, 

 but on my reofi'ering it ate it, refused the next most persistently, as also a l^erias, 

 but readily accepted an E. hiarhas, refused for a few seconds, then took and 

 dropped, but the third time definitely crushed and ate a P. angolanus, and after it 

 readily nine small grasshoppers. Two more were eaten after a little coaxing, but 

 the twelfth was finally and obstinately refused without tasting, as was also a 

 P. angolanus. The roller then tasted and rejected a c? P. demodocus, refused 

 without tasting a $ H.misippus with one hindwing attached, then twice took it 

 from the forceps with an air of suspicion and each time slightly tasted and dropped 

 it, refusing it after this without tasting, readily accepted and ate a Precis clelia, 

 refused without tasting the 5 H. misippus, and on my removing the sole remaining 



