SOCIAL AND MENTAL QUALITIES 63 



Most of the fruits and plants that are relished by 

 them are either acidulous or bitter in taste, and they 

 are not especially fond of sweet fruits, if they can 

 get those having the flavours mentioned. They eat 

 bananas, pine-apples, and other sweet fruits, but not 

 from choice. Most of them appear to prefer a lime 

 to an orange, a plantain to a banana, or a kola nut 

 to a sweet mango, but in captivity they acquire a 

 taste for sweet foods of all kinds. 



In addition to these articles they devour birds, 

 lizards, and small rodents. They rob the birds of 

 their eggs and their young. They make havoc on 

 many kinds of large insects. Those that I have 

 owned were fond of cooked meats and salt fish, either 

 raw or cooked. 



