150 MR. C. X. BARKER 



I have quoted the paragraph in full, as his experiences- 

 from the Neotropical regions are completely in accord 

 with my own limited experiences in this sub-regioii. It 

 is also Avorthy of note that on the only occasion Avhere 

 he saw a bird fly at a butterfly the butterfly was of the 

 supposed distasteful genus, Heliconlus. Distastefnlness 

 is eAidently a very qualified protection judging by the 

 number of species among insectivorous birds which 

 totally disregard it. Monsieur Schaus concludes his 

 Ijaper by stating that he has conversed with many col- 

 lectors of birds and insects, who all agree that the cap- 

 tures of butterflies by birds are quite exceptional cases. 



By kind permission of the Rev. Father J. A. O'Xeil, 

 S.J., with whom I have had the pleasure of corresponding^ 

 on entomological subjects for mau}^ years, and whose 

 first-hand knowledge of South African insects is as 

 thorough as his opinions are valuable, I quote from a 

 recent letter dated Salisbury, Rhodesia, 30th June, 1917: 



^'I have only once noticed a bird chasing a butterfly 

 [B. mesentina, as far as I could see), and the fly escaped. 

 Like you, I am very sceptical about the advantage of the 

 so-called ^' protective mimicry" of certain insects; rnd T 

 doubt very much if their resemblance to distasteful or 

 otherwise protected insects does help them. Take, for 

 instance, the wonderful Mutilla mimics (Cerambycidie, 

 CleridcT^, etc.) which we have in this country. Some of 

 them, such as a local Caloclytus (near to krantzi), and a 

 large Clerid, are so exceedingly like a MiitiUa that at 

 first I mistook them for such. Now, if this mimicry pro- 

 tected them from enemies, one would expect them to be 

 commoner tlian tlieir near congeners, yet they seem to be 

 extremely rare. Of the Caloclytus, I have only seen a 

 single example in 44^ years. Our Avonderful large Sphe- 

 goid and Brachonoid Orambycinje, found in Matebele- 

 land, are equally scarce. I met only one example of each 

 in 7 years. Xo doubt Brnf. IN)ulton and liis school of 

 thought would maintain Hint but for tlie protective 

 mimicry tliey wonhl liave become extinct; but this would 

 be a perfectly gratuitous assertion. 



