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



tried carefully and rejected. Danais chrysippus was also tried and re- 

 jected, and Delias eucharis barely touched even, while Junonia, Atella 

 phalanta, and another non-warningly-coloured species were readily eaten 

 as also was a Catopsilia. The bird tried to catch a D. limniace and 

 one or two D. chrysippus, which escaped. The sweeper removed the 

 D. chrysipptis and D. eucharis. 



In the evening the bird ate, with persuasion, two Junonias, but 

 would not eat PapiUo polites (non-mimetic) nor Euploea. Finally just 

 at dusk it ate with persuasion a Huphina phryne. It had food with it 

 on both occasions, but the meat was stale in the morning. 



November 2hth. — In the morning the Papilio polites left overnight 

 was gone, the Euplcea being left. There was food in the cage. 



I gave the bird two more P. polites on the floor of the cage, one 

 mimetic, and one not. It took the non-mimetic specimen first, and ate 

 it, then the mimic, but showed no great eagerness iti either case. I 

 then put in a P. aristolochise, which was tried and rejected. Then I put 

 in four Junonias and one specimen each of Delias eucharis, Da?iais 

 genutia and chrysippus; the Euplcea and P. aristolochise still remained 

 there. One Junonia was eaten at once ; then the D. eucharis was picked 

 up and dropped ; then two more Junonias were eaten, and the fourth 

 taken up and dropped. This action the bird apparently repeated once 

 or twice (judging from the insect's varying position in the cage), but 

 it finally ate it when offered by hand. 



To-day it seemed not very eager for any butterflies. 



In the evening, when the bird was hungry, I gave it (having trans- 

 ferred it to the aviary) dead specimens of both the mimetic and 

 ordinary forms of P. polites. It took the non-mimetic form first and 

 ate it, and then took and ate the mimic. I then put in one specimen each 

 of Euplcea, Danais chrysippus, D. genutia, and three Papilio demoleus, 

 all alive. 



The bird took and dropped the Euplcea, and took and mauled, but 

 did not kill, a P. demoleus. Later, when the bird had gone to roost, I 

 missed this specimen, but fouud all the rest untouched, and removed 

 them. From appearances next morning I think ants ate the P. demoleus. 



November 26th. — The bird was not hungry when I gave it, in the 

 afternoon, two Gatopsilias, and one each of Papilio demoleus, Etiplcea, 

 and Danais chrysippus, all dead, the Euplcea and P. demoleus being the 

 specimens I had taken out last night. One Catopsilia first disappeared ; 

 I saw the bird attacking these. Then the bird ate some meat and left 

 the other butterflies. It would not eat the other Catopsilia, even when 

 pressed, nor the D. chrysippus, which I also pressed on it. I then again 

 pressed it to eat the Catopsilia, which this time it consented to do. I 



