94 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, '03 



with extreme suddenness, and their under-side colouring harmonizes so 

 well with the sandy soil they love that they are very difficult to detect. 

 It seems to me that such a habit can only have been developed for the 

 purpose of escaping from birds, and must be very effectual in most cases. 

 I have noticed that the summer forms, which have not the sandy-coloured 

 under-side do not adopt these tactics, but rely on their flight alone 

 probably because food is more plentiful for insectivorous birds at that 

 season." 



His observations lead him to think that swift-flying butterflies when on 

 the wing are not likely to be caught by birds ; the latter learn the futility 

 of pursuit ; the butterflies have therefore been able to acquire brilliant 

 colors above, particularly those species having protectively colored 

 under sides. The more frequently observed capture of moths than but- 

 terflies by birds does not necessarily imply a preference for the former, 

 but may be due to the relative ease of capture. That birds ' ' have been 

 the chief, if not the only, agents in the production of mimicry, whether 

 Batesian or Miillerian, I have little doubt. It is highly significant that 

 mimicry in its fullest development is only to be found in forest-clad re- 

 gions where insectivorous birds are most abundant. Moreover, I am not 

 aware of a single instance of true mimicry among species which habitually 

 settle on the ground." Nine pages of records of attacks of birds on 

 butterflies in South Africa, India, Ceylon and Burma are given. Indirect 

 evidence of such attacks is also afforded by a collection of these insects 

 bearing injuries, chiefly to the wings, which were probably caused by 

 birds or other enemies, and figured in three of the plates. Injury at the 

 apical angle of one or both fore wings is fairly common. As this angle 

 is very remote from the vital parts, and no great harm to the butterfly is 

 done by such injury, it is suggested that the presence of conspicuous 

 markings, as well as prolongation of its apex at that part of the wing 

 serves as a protection by diverting attack from the vital parts. A similar 

 explanation is offered for the existence of ' eye-spots ' and tails near the 

 anal angle of the hind wing. 



Experiments offering insects to mungooses, a monkey and baboons 

 fill ten pages. As regards the last-named : Coleoptera of the groups 

 Lycidae, Melyridae, Cantharidae and Coccinellidac were refused \\ ithout any 

 exceptions, while those belonging to the Rutelidae, Buprestidae and Cur- 

 culionidse were invariably accepted; the acid secretion of the Carabidas ap- 

 peared to be a useful means of defence, especially among the larger species. 



There is some interesting evidence of the value of terrifying markings 

 in insects which recalls Prof. Needham's interesting chapter ' Bogus 

 Eyes ' in his ' Outdoor Studies.' ' In a brief consideration of stridulation 

 as a warning or intimidating character is given a short description of an 

 instrument for investigating such sounds. Evidence and argument are 

 produced to controvert the opinions of Plateau and Wheeler that the 



* Outdoor Studies. A reading book of Nature Study. By James G. 

 Needham. American Book Co. 1898. 



