364 MR. C. F. M. SWYNNERTON ON THE 



Exp. 203. — April 24. Had had a good feed not long before, but had since brought 

 up a large and a small pellet. Refused, then tried and rejected, Brachycemis apterus, 

 then ate no less than six Acridium lineatum — an unusual feat, for the 

 larger specimens are usually found somewhat unmanageable, but these were all 

 fairly small, running roughly three to the ounce. She then ate a large number, 

 weighing in all two-thirds of an ounce, of small grasshoppers of various species, 

 finally refusing to take any more. But she accepted and, after running it through 

 her bill with a somewhat uncertain air, finally swallowed without the smallest sign 

 of dislike the contents, extracted in one piece, of the abdomen of the large 

 Brachycerus she had previously rejected. She then refused with shakes of the head 

 to touch P. angolanus, refused a P. lyceihs. but, as I continued to ofter it, finally 

 accepted, crushed it, and played with it for some seconds, tossing it into the air 

 and catching it again, then threw it away and refused to touch it again. She then 

 refused to touch a small grey la.rval mantis, a light brown Locustid, a 

 Tsamon-tree Locustid or a mantis. The first two and the last of these she 

 had to my knowledge had before now in her food. She similarly refused a 

 Precis elgiva, a Rhop. pisistrahts, and an Antanartia schceneia, but accepted, crushed, 

 and held a Rhoj). liheon. She appeared too replete to swallow it and could 

 not be induced to do so, though she each time made some show of activity, even by 

 means of a fluttering Cltaraxes vologeses held in front of her bill. I left her, and 

 returning five minutes later found her still holding B. liheon, which, however, she 

 now relinquished in favour of the G. vologeses. She failed with this too, as also 

 with a Charaxes ethalion c? and a C. brutus, relinquishing each in turn after 

 crushing it and holding it for several minutes in her bill. No sign of dislike was 

 shown for any of them, nor of regret for having eaten the Brachycerus contents. 

 At the same time she had filled up unusually quickly after refusing grasshoppers. 

 [Order : — 



1. Contents of Brachycerus apterus, probably about 



on a level with li. liheon, C. vologeses, C. hrutus, 



and O. ethalion. 



Probably R. pisistratus, 

 P. elgiva, A. schceneia, 

 the two Mantises, the 

 two Locustids, P, ango- 

 lanus and P. lyceus. 



2. Acridium lineatum and grasshoppers generally. 



3. Uncrushed B. apterus^\ 



Exp. 204. — April 27. Refused without tasting, then tried and rejected, 

 Mylothris rueppelli, readily accepted and ate a Belenois mesentina and several 

 large grasshoppers, crushed and rejected a B. mesentina, readily ate a Byhlia 

 ilithyia, took two more grasshoppers, refused to accept a Byhlia goetzius or 

 the B. mesentina, but crushed and at once swallowed the Lyca^nid that mimics 

 Nyctemera (the first ever captured at Ohirinda itself). But, pushing down 

 her crop-contents by means of an elongation of the neck followed by a visible 

 contraction (this had happened as I offered the Lycsenid too), she went on 

 to eat not only the B. goetzius but the B. mesentina, though she refused, then 

 crushed slightly and rejected, a Terias senegalensis. 



