194 PROTECTION BY THEIR NOXIOUS QUALITIES. 



Morgan, Romanes, and later by Mr. Guy A. K. Marshall : 

 and the works of Belt, Bates, Mliller, Wallace, Swinhoe, 

 Trimen, Butler, Beddoe and many other well known 

 naturalists bear indisputable testimony to the fact. 



So many and so persistent are the enemies to insect 

 life that even with the prolific reproductive capabilities 

 which insects [)Ossess it is almost a matter of surprise that 

 so many survive. The liability to attack and destruction 

 appears to be greatest in the case of those which are highly 

 coloured and conspicuously marked, and more especially 

 in the showy and brightly adorned Lepidoptera, which appear 

 to be so entirely defenceless against the attacks of their 

 numerous enemies. 



It is known, however, that many of these highly attractive 

 and brilliant butterflies and moths possess some peculiar 

 repellent feature. Many of them are highly scented, others 

 are tough, dry and hard, some exude nauseous and evil- 

 smelling secretions, and bitter or acidulous fluids, whilst 

 others are clothed in part with irritating hairs and loose 

 fluffy scales, which render them disagreeable and offensive 

 to the insect-eating animals. 



Amongst the attractively embellished and gaily adorned 

 butterflies are the HeliconiiKX, Danaincs, AercsincB, and 

 Etiplceincs, all of which are beautifully coloured and 

 conspicuously marked. Their wings are often nearly alike 

 on both the upper and under surfaces. They seem to 

 have no sense of fear or avoidance of danger, fly without 

 regard to concealment, and rest in any exposed and open 

 situation. But it is known that they all possess in one or 

 other form that repellent feature which renders them 

 distasteful and obnoxious to the Inscctivora. "They all 

 "have juices which exhale a powerful scent" said the late 

 A. Milnes Marshall. " This odour is not very offensive to 

 " man, but it has been shewn by experiment to be so to 

 " birds and other insect-eating animals." 



