IX] THE ENEMIES OF BUTTERFLIES 121 



their light colour it is probable that the " Whites " are 

 more conspicuous and offer a better mark for a bird in 

 pursuit than darker coloured species. 



Mmnmals. Apart from man it is clear that only- 

 such mammals as are of arboreal habits are likely to 

 cause destruction among butterflies in the imago state. 

 Apparently there are no records of any arboreal 

 mammal, except monkeys, capturing butterflies in the 

 wild state, nor is there much evidence available from 

 feeding experiments. But such evidence as exists is 

 of considerable interest. As the result of feeding 

 butterflies of different sorts to an Indian Tree-shrew 

 {Tupaia ferruginea) Finn^ found that it shewed a strong 

 dislike to Danaids and to Papilio aristolochiae though 

 it took readily Papilio demoleus, Neptis kamarupa, and 

 Catopsilia (a Pierine). It is fairly certain that if the 

 Tree-shrew is an enemy of butterflies in the wild state 

 it is a discriminating one. 



The other mammals with which experiments have 

 been made are the common baboon, a monkey {Cerco- 

 pithecus pygerythrus), and a mongoose {Herpestes 

 galera) — all by Marshall^ in South Africa. The mon- 

 goose experiments were few and inconclusive, nor is 

 this a matter of much moment as it is unlikely that this 

 mammal is a serious enemy of butterflies. 



The monkey ate various forms of Precis (a Vanessid), 

 after which it was given Acraea halali. This distaste- 

 ful form was "accepted without suspicion, but when 



1 Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, vol. 66 ^ 1898. 

 * Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1902. 



