IX] THE ENEMIES OF BUTTERFLIES 123 



that, as a factor in the establishing of a mimetic like- 

 ness, a stronger case may be made out for the monkey 

 than the bird. The monkey apparently eats butterflies 

 readily^ : owing probably to a keener sense of smell it 

 shews far less hesitation as to its likes and dishkes: 

 its intelligence is such that one can easily imagine it 

 exercising the necessary powers of discrimination; 

 in short it is the ideal enemy for which advocates of 

 the mimicry theory have been searching — if only it 

 could fly. As things are its butterfly captures must be 

 made when the insect is at rest, probably near sunrise 

 and sunset, and this leads to a difficulty. Most butter- 

 flies rest with their wings closed. In many of the 

 well-known cases of mimicry the pattern on the under 

 surface of the mimic's wings which would meet the 

 monkey's eye is quite different from that of its model. 

 It is difficult in such cases to imagine the monkey 

 operating as a factor in establishing a resemblance 

 between the upper surfaces of the wings of the two 

 unrelated species. On the other hand, some butterflies, 



^ In this connection may be quoted a letter from Capt. N. V. Neal 

 near Lagos to Mr W. A. Lamborn which was recently published in the 

 Proceedings of the Entomological Society. 



"You have asked me about monkeys eating butterflies. This is 

 very common, as every native will tell you. I have seen it myself. 

 The monkey runs along a path, sees some butterflies fluttering roimd 

 some filth, goes very quietly, and seizes one by the wings, puts the 

 solid part (body) into his mouth, then pulls the wings off. The poor 

 butterfly goes down like any oyster.. . .The dog-faced baboon and the 

 large brown monkey with a very long tail, wliich seems to be the most 

 common species in this colony, are great butterfly-eaters. The little 

 spider-monkey also considers a butterfly a treat, and prefers one to 

 a spider." 



