52 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. ■ 



The Heliconidae, to which the Ithomiae belong, are, if I 

 remember rightly, confined to the South A.merican continent, 

 and many of them have a slow, steady, horizontal flight and 

 conspicuous brilliantly-coloured wings. They appear thus to 

 have no protection from the attacks of birds, and some naturalists 

 (? Wallace) have founded on this circumstance the hypothesis 

 that they possess the invisible protection of containing in their 

 bodies some substance rendering them distasteful to birds. This 

 supposition may be correct as regards the larger and more 

 brilliantly-coloured species, but the smaller transparent species 

 would appear to depend for protection on their inconspicuous- 

 ness, if not entirely, at all events to some degree. It would 

 therefore be interesting were investigations to be made with a 

 view to finding out, by chemical analysis or otherwise, what the 

 substance may be which renders some butterflies distasteful to 

 birds, and whether it be equally present in inconspicuous as in 

 conspicuous butterflies. 



Brazilian butterflies, when at rest, possess many and varied 

 contrivances of protective resemblances for safety. They gene- 

 rally settle on the lichen-covered tree-trunks, and are, when 

 settled, so wonderfully like their favourite resting-places that 

 they become almost invisible. Such a butterfly is Ageronia 

 feronia, Linn. This is the species mentioned in Mr. Bigg- 

 Withers' 'Pioneering in Brazil' as the "whip-butterfly," owing 

 to the sharp whip-cracking sound made by its wings when 

 battling with its fellows in the air. When at rest it usually 

 remains with its wings spread horizontally, and the tips pressed 

 against the grey lichens or bark of the tree-trunk. They gene- 

 rally settle at a height of two or three yards from the ground. 

 This butterfly is then so like in colour and markings to the 

 surface on which it rests that it is practically invisible at the 

 distance of even a few yards. Its disposition is most pugnacious, 

 and should a butterfly of the same or even of a different species 

 approach it, it sallies out at a tangent with a strong swift flight, 

 and buffets it boldly, making the crackling noise noticed by 

 Mr. Bigg-Withers. It is remarkable that the under sides of the 

 wings of this species are lighter coloured and more ornamental 

 than the upper, which is the protected side. According to 

 Mr. Bigg-Withers, a forest bird called the "suruqua" feeds 

 chiefly on butterflies, and is partial to this species, being 

 attracted by the whip-like crack, and darting after it on the 

 wing. ^ I was not so fortunate as to see this bird or any other 

 pursuing butterflies, and in fact it is difficult to discover which 

 are the butterflies' natural enemies. 



Dr. Hans Gadow, of Cambridge, informs me that his captive 

 chameleons display a great partiality for butterflies as food, and 

 I once discovered a centipede with a moth in its mouth. I have 

 seen house sparrows occasionally chase cabbage butterflies, and 



