NEWLY-DISCOVERED HABIT IN THE BLACKCAP WARBLER. 3 



ones on the same bush were visited. The reason of this was 

 obvious, for the petals of all the pink flowers overlapped at the 

 base, leaving no opening by which the calyx could be reached. 

 Honey-bees, which abounded on the neighbouring trees, did not 

 visit the Hibiscus. 



Fig. 1. — Abutilon, with calyx torn by Sylvia atricapilla 

 and Parus tenerifce. 



At Monte, near Las Palmas, Grand Canary (March 22nd), 

 I found that Hibiscus rosa-sinensis had been treated in the same 

 way as at Orotava, by the " Capirote" (Sylvia atricapilla) . But 

 I also found that a shrubby species of Abutilon, another plant 

 of the Hibiscus family, with large pendant orange-coloured flowers, 

 had undergone a similar mutilation of the calyx. 



In this instance, however, there were notable differences. The 

 base of the calyx has nectar all round the receptacle, and not, as 

 in Hibiscus, only on the inner surface of the two upper calyx - 

 segments. Hence the openings were made on any or all of the 

 calyx-segments. I did not observe that they were made by 

 the Blackcap, though they might have been in some instances. 

 The chief agent was a black-headed Titmouse (Parus tenerifce, 

 Tristram), which can scarcely be regarded as a nectar-eater. 

 The object of this proceeding seems to be to afford a ready means 



B2 



