528 F. Finn — Experiments with a Tupaia and a Frog. [No. 2, 



Merganser comatus. 



A specimen of a Goosander, in very bad condition, sent to me in 

 March of the present year by the Editor of the Asian, with the in- 

 formation that it was shot at Myitkiyana, Burmah, appears to me to 

 be referable to the Eastern form. It is a female or young male. 



Merganser serrator. 



There is in the Museum collection an excellent specimen of this 

 bird, not sexed, but by plumnge a female or young male, obtained in 

 the Calcutta Provision Bazaar on December 17th, 1889. 



Contributions to the Theory of Warning Colours and Mimicry. No. III. 

 Experiments with a Tupaia and a Frog. — By F. Finn, B.A., F.Z.S., 

 Deputy Superintendent in the Indian Museum. 



[Received April 29th, Read May 5th, 1897.] 



The only other animals, besides birds and Calotes lizards, with 

 which I have systematically experimented, are a Tupaia or Tree-Shrew 

 {Tupaia ferruginea), and a Bull-frog (Bana tigrina) ; in each case a 

 single individual only being used. 



This being the case I have thought it as well to give the experi- 

 ments on this Mammal and Amphibian together in one short paper, 

 before dealing with the rest of the birds, my notes upon which much 

 exceed in bulk all those I have hitherto published taken together. 



Experiments with a Tupaia. 



The Tupaia used in these experiments was bought in the Bird Bazaar, 

 in July, 1895, and kept for most of the time in the aviary which I had used 

 for birds: it was fed on boiled rice, fruit (plantain) and cooked meat. 

 It used its fore-paws to hold the insects it ate, after the manner of 

 a squirrel, and from its tameness and keenness after insects was a very 

 satisfactory subject to observe. With it I made the following experi- 

 ments, in 1895, about the time at which some of my experiments with 

 Calotes (J. A. S. B., 1896, Part II, p. 42) were made. 



July 15£fc. The animal being hungry, I offered it a Danai, 

 genutia, which it took, but refused, apparently disliking the taste. 

 I then gave it three non-warningly-coloured butterflies, which it was 

 even less inclined to eat. All these insects were dead and rather dry 

 however. 



The animal had an hour or so before eaten cockroaches ( Beriplaneta 

 americana) and plantain with relish. 



