MIMICRY IN CEYLON BUTTERFLIES. 11 
bungalow in which I stayed near Tanjore was a tree with a little 
greenish flower which was very attractive to insects. It was not 
more than 30 yards from where I sat, and I was able with a pair of 
glasses to see very clearly what was going on. During the earlier 
part of the day the tree swarmed with butterflies, among which 
Telchinia viole, Delias eucharis, Papilio demoleus, and several 
species of Jxias, Terias, and Teracolus were most noticeable. On it 
several minahs were generally hawking insects, and though butterflies 
were all round them, and sometimes even settled within a few inches 
of them, they never once offered to attack them while I was watching, 
but confined their attentions to flies and other insects. Though it 
may be granted that some of these species, notably Telchinia and 
Delias, are distasteful to birds, yet this can hardly be maintained of 
P. demoleus, which is a fairly close ally of the presumedly palatable 
P. polytes, the larva feeding on the same food plants and being in 
appearance practically indistinguishable from that of the latter 
species. 
The general impression that I got from collecting in this part of 
the world is, that as serious enemies of butterflies in the imago state 
birds may be left out of account. When driven by stress of hunger 
they will no doubt attack them, but in such cases it is exceedingly 
improbable that they would exercise that discrimination between 
the so-called palatable and unpalatable species which is postulated 
by the supporters of the theory of mimicry. . 
So far as one can judge by observation the chief enemies of 
butterflies in Ceylon are lizards and Asilid flies, and it will be 
convenient to consider them apart. 
(B) Lizards.—Two of the commonest species of Ceylon lizards are 
the “‘ blood suckers,” Calotes versicolor and C. ophiomachus. Both 
species have considerable power of changing their colour, which may 
range from a dull sooty brown to a bright green that is particularly 
brilliant in the latter species. Apparently they derive their popular 
name from the fact that the head and neck may assume a bright 
red hue, and it is conceivable that this may serve as a lure for 
insects. Both species commonly attain a length of 15-18 inches, 
inclusive of the long tail, though larger specimens are not infrequent. 
Both are bold, active animals, fond of the sun, and not easily 
frightened by man. The staple food of both species is insects of all 
sorts, and-an examination of the contents of a number of stomachs 
shows that they will devour ants, cockroaches, earwigs, beetles, 
caterpillars, &c. In several cases I have been able to find the 
remains of butterflies, the characteristic heads of which resist the 
digestive juices of the reptile as well as the subsequent boiling in 
potash. Though I have never personally seen Calotes catch a 
butterfly under natural conditions, Mr. McBride and his wife 
assured me that they have not infrequently seen them doing so, 
