CARNIVOROUS BUTTERFLIES CLARK 453 



He noticed the insect alight on a twig. It remained for a few 

 seconds and then flew off, circling rapidly round the stump, soon 

 to alight again. It lit on a branch with ants and coccids on it, just 

 at the tip, the coccids being about an inch from the end. It pro- 

 ceeded to walk backwards rather slowly and deliberately, the abdo- 

 men inclined upward at a fairly steep angle to the thorax, and the 

 wings opening and closing fairly rapidly — though not by any means 

 nervously or excitedly — and gently beating the twig. The ants 

 retreated backwards, making hardly any resistance at all, though 

 some dodged to the under side of the twig and ran forwards. 



The butterfly having gone back about 3 inches, then suddenly 

 dropped the abomen so that it rested on the tAvig and ran rapidly 

 forward, the tip of the abdomen brushing the twig as it did so. The 

 backward maneuver was repeated, this time on the underside of the 

 twig, the wings then hanging downAvards, the abdomen flexed as 

 before. The butterfly suddenly stopped over the coccids, unrolled 

 a very slender proboscis, and proceeded to absorb the secretion so 

 very much prized by the ants. 



Occasionally an ant would venture along, but retreated without 

 attacking. In a short time the butterfly flew away, circled around 

 for a bit, and came back to another twig, where the same perform- 

 ance was repeated. 



Professor Poulton remarked that the movements described and the 

 position of the abdomen of the butterfly suggest strongly that the 

 butterfly produces and fans toward the ants some odor disliked by 

 them. 



Gertdus chinensis 



Mr. John C. W. Kershaw has published an interesting account of 

 the habits of Gerydus chinensis which he found to be fairly common 

 throughout the year in certain localities near Macao and Hong 

 Kong. Like Feniseca tarquinius it is local in its occurrence, keeping 

 more or less strictly to shady and usually damp places. To a certain 

 extent it is crepuscular, though it is also on the wing during the day. 



When ovipositing the female butterfly, after almost interminable 

 dancing up and down and wandering hither and thither, finally 

 alights, after two or three attempts, in the midst of the aphids and 

 ants, which she thrusts aside with a brushing movement of her abdo- 

 men, and immediately lays a single q,(i^. She then generally moves 

 slightly and remains for some time sucking up the exuding juices of 

 the plant. 



The eggs are laid toward evening and until night fairly sets in, 

 on stems and leaves of herbs and trees infested with aphids or 

 76041—26 30 



