402 PACKARD — ORIGIN OF MARKINGS OF ORGANISMS. [Dec. 2, 



"In July, 1897, at Newfoundland, N. J., I saw two specimens of 

 the large dragon fly, Hage7iius brevistylus, chasing species of Papilio 

 and Lime7iiiis Ursula. They would station themselves on dead 

 limbs, and when a butterfly came by they would sally forth after 

 the pilgrim like robbers of old from their wayside castle. I did 

 not see them catch any butterflies, though they came pretty near to 

 doing so. Mr. Calvert writes me that Dr. Hagen has a note in 

 E7it. Monthly Mag. (1884?) on A7iax longipes catching Papilio at 

 Wood's Hole. 



Among those whose attention I have called to the matter. Prof. 

 James G. Needham, of Lake Forest, 111., writes that "neither I 

 myself nor any of my students have seen a bird chase and eat a 

 butterfly." 



Miss Annie H. Pritchett, of Austin, Tex., and Mr. Ernest Inger- 

 soll write to the same effect. 



The late Mr. C. V. Riley states^- "Individually I have on 

 several occasions seen butterflies captured by birds, and have seen 

 dragon flies dart after them." He adds that " any amount of evi- 

 dence might be collected on this head," but we are convinced that 

 this is an over-statement. 



3. The Case of the Milkweed Butterfly (Anosia plexippus). 



It is a generally accepted belief, first expressed by Walsh and 

 Riley in June, 1869,'* that this butterfly enjoys an immunity from 

 the attacks of birds by reason of its nauseous taste or odor, and that 

 Basilar chia archippus {distppus), which is edible and inodorous, is 

 protected by its resemblance to its model. This hypothesis has 

 been generally accepted, and yet it needs far more facts of observa- 

 tion to support it than have yet been brought forward. Just how 

 nauseous or malodorous Anosia is needs further investigation. 



We have been able to find in the literature but two cases of the 

 Anosia being caught by birds, while there is no record, says Riley, 

 " of any person having actually seen a bird or other animal attack 

 the species of Limenitis in this country," Limenitis being a 

 synonym of Basilarchia, the mimic. 



The first case is recorded by Riley, ^ who relates an occurrence 

 noticed by the late Mr. Otto Lugger, then of Chicago. " While 



1 Third Ann. Rep. Insects Missouri, 187 1, p. 167. 



^American Entomologist, I, June, 1869, p. 189. 



3 Third Annual Report Insects Missouri 187 1, p. 169. Footnote i. 



