352 MR. C. F. M. SWYNNBRTON ON THE 



and struggled violently, its shai-p clinging claws frequently reaching the roller's 

 lores and causing its hasty rejection. The bird each time readily accepted it again 

 and had another try, but finally becam-e irritated beyond measui'e and would have 

 nothing more to do with it. The beetle was not grea.tly the worse for its 

 experience. She then accejoted an Ainicmtus glohulipennis and tried for a. few 

 seconds to crush it by slieer bill-pressure, but, failing, threw it away, then crushed 

 and readily ate two brown Phytophaga (^Horatopyga sp.) each with its normal 

 smell. The first of these I thought might have slipped down by accident without 

 having been properly crushed, the second was well crushed. She finally crushed 

 well and rejected a locust, Taphronota calUjxireaj that was exuding a quantity of 

 froth. Butterflies in this experiment were oflfered wings and all. 

 \_Order : — 



{1. Bel. mesentina. 

 2. Terias senegalensis. ] Hive-bee, 

 3. Myl. agathina 5 . J dragon-fly. 



4. Amiantus glohulipennis and Nej^tunides polychrous, each 

 probably better defended (the foi'mer by hardness, the 

 latter by claws, fighting weight, &c.) than M. agathina $ 

 by nauseousness, Taphronota calliparea probably not better 

 than Horatopyga, Himatismus not necessarily better than 

 Terias senegalensis, and hive-bee and dragon-fly probably 

 not better.] 



Exp. 166. — April 8. Refused, then tasted, and rejected an M. agathina $ , very 

 readily ate after crushing it a B. mesentina, subjected to slight pressure and tossed 

 aside a Tenebrionid beetle, Psammodes mashunits, Per., refused to touch a grey 

 isopod smelling of almond, an orange-coloured centipede {Scolopendra morsitans), 

 a blister beetle, Mylabris ocidata, or the Mylothris reofFered, very readily accepted 

 and swallowed a B. mesentina, refused to touch a Psammodes sp., evidently 

 regarding it with marked suspicion, pressed with her bill and tlu'ew aside a 

 Psarnmodes perfidus and again P. mashunus, refused, then tasted slightly and 

 rejected the grey isopod, definitely tasted and threw away the orange centipede, 

 refused again to touch the Mylabris ocidata, readil}' accepted and ate a B. severina, 

 and once more refused Mylothris agathina $ . The unidentified Psammodes 

 had probably reminded it of an Anthia. 



[Order : — 



1. Belenois mesentina and B. severina. 



2. Mylothris agathina $ , Mylahris ocidata, grey isopod (un- 



broken), Scolopendra inorsitans, Psammodes perfidus.^ 



Exp. 167. — April 10. Readily accepted and ate a B. mesentina, refused, then 

 accepted and ate with disinclination a Terias hrigitta, readily accepted and ate 

 another B. mesentina, tasted and threw away a frog-hopper, refused to touch 

 an Epilachna chrysoriielina or a Mylahris ocidata^ readily ate a B. se^ierina, 



