1912.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 32 ) 



any one species of bird, though a good many birds take these insects 

 at times. A long series of experiments with regard to birds taking 

 protectively colored or distasteful insects and especially butterflies 



was made by Mr. Finn They have little importance to 



economic ornithology, since most of the experiments were conducted 

 with caged birds, these, therefore, being under unnatural conditions." 



2. "That many, probably most species, dislike, if not intensely, 

 at any rate in comparison with other butterflies, the "warningly 

 colored" Danainse, Acrcea violce, Delias eucharis, and Papilio aristo- 

 lochice; of these the last being the most distasteful and the Danainse 

 the least so" (p. 667). 



By consulting the tabulation of acceptances and rejections given 

 above, it will be seen that only two out of fourteen species of birds 

 considerably experimented with failed to take as many or more 

 insects of the "nauseous" group than they refused, and that seven 

 of these fourteen species' refused as large or a larger proportion of 

 the "palatable" butterflies as of the "nauseous" ones. Conse- 

 quently the assertion in Conclusion 2, at least as regards the Dan- 

 ainse, is not borne out even under experimental conditions; it should 

 read, about half of the species of birds considerably experimented 

 with showed in captivity a greater or less degree of preference for 

 butterflies of the "palatable" group. The figures show that about 

 30 per cent, of all "nauseous" butterflies tested were refused, as were 

 about 13 per cent, of the "palatable" ones. About 23 per cent, of the 

 Danais (average of three species) and of the Euplceas were rejected, 

 proportions nearly as small or smaller than in the case of at least three 

 species of the so-called palatable group, namely, Papilio demoleus, 25 

 per cent.; Atella phalanta, 22 per cent.; and Elymnias undalaris, 24 

 per cent. 



The approximate numbers of refusals and acceptances and the 



percentage of refusals for the important species of both groups are 



given below: 



"Nauseous" group. 



A. R. %R. 



Danais chrysippus 136+ 38 21.8 



" genutia 59+ 23 28 



" limniace 38+ 9 19.1 



Delias eucharis 13 19 59.3 



Euplcea sp 53 16 22.8 



Euproctis sp 11 2 15.3 



Mylabris sp 1+ 1 50 



Papilio aristolochice 17 33 . 66 



Terias sp 11 4 26.6 



Acrcea violce 3 5 62.5 



22 



