648 F. Finn— Experiments with various Birds. [No. 4, 



Experiments with Bhimraj. 



November 10th. — Gave the Bhimraj several butterflies. It ate, with 

 persuasion, two P. aristolochise and a P. polites (a mimetic specimen) 

 pulling off the head of the first of the former species. It ate several 

 Danais chrysippus and three D. genutia, all of them (except about two 

 of the former) without persuasion, the insects being simply put to its 

 bill. 



There were maggots available. 



November llth. — The Bhimraj readily ate all the butterflies given it, 

 including Papilio aristolochise, P. polites, P. demoleus, Catopsilia, Danais 

 chrysippus, D. genutia, and D. limniace, of which last two one speci- 

 men only was given, of the rest two or more. Persuasion was only 

 needed with the D. genutia and the last D. chrysippus when the bird, 

 rather hungry at first, was becoming satiated. 



November 12th. — The bird, when it had no food in the early morn- 

 ing, ate a Junonia and took and refused a Papilio aristolochise. The 

 latter remained uneaten all day. Meat and grasshoppers had been 

 given. In the evening the bird ate a P. demoleus, and two P. polites. 

 At first it ate only half of the last specimen of P. polites, then trying 

 and rejecting the P. aristolochise, and then eating the other half of the 

 polites when offered. It then ate two specimens each of Euploea, 

 Danais limniace, and D. genutia. 



November 13th. — The first food given to the Bhimraj to-day was 

 three Catopsilias and three Danais chrysippus. It ate a Catopsilia first, 

 and ate all of these before eating any of the Danais, though it picked 

 up and rejected one of them. Afterwards it ate two of these D. chrysip- 

 pus, and I put in two more. In the afternoon the Bhimraj ate a 

 Junonia, though the three Danais and yesterday's P. aristolochise were 

 in the cage uneaten, (one Danais was minus its head). 



November 16th, — The Bhimraj having had no butterflies for two 

 days, I gave it a Danais chrysippus, which it was careless with, and 

 allowed it to escape. Then I offered a Papilio aristolochise, which was 

 several times taken and rejected. Then I gave the bird a mimetic speci- 

 men of P. polites, which it ate, without persuasion. It then refused a 

 D. genutia, and ate, with pressing, a D. chrysippus ; then, readily enough, 

 a Catopsilia. I could not induce it to eat a second D. chrysippus. 



The P. aristolochise was not dead when taken out, though its wings 

 were torn. 



November llth. — In the morning I gave the Bhimraj (which had no 

 fresh food by it) a Danais chrysippus and a Papilio aristolochise, neither 

 of which it would eat, though it tried them. Soon after it ate grass- 

 hoppers. 



