228 THE COLOUES OF ANIMALS 



of certain Heliconidce, and he noticed that they all 

 possess a peculiar smell. Neither Bates nor Wallace 

 saw them attacked by birds, dragon-flies, lizards, or 

 predaceous flies (Asilidce), although all these devour 

 other butterflies, and the Heliconidce, from their abun- 

 dant flocks and slow flight, would be a particularly 

 easy prey.* 



In Brazil and in Nicaragua some important obser- 

 vations upon the Hcliconidce (probably including the 

 Danaidce) were made by Mr. Belt. He says : ' I have 

 seen even spiders drop them out of their webs again ; 

 and small monkeys, which are extremely fond of 

 insects, will not eat them, as I have proved over and 

 over again.' ^ * I observed a pair of birds that were 

 bringing butterflies and dragon-flies to their young, 

 and although the Heliconii swarmed in the neighbour- 

 hood, and are of weak flight so as to be easily caught, 

 the birds never brought one to their nest.' A tame 

 white-faced monkey * would greedily munch up beetle 

 or butterfly given to him, and I used to bring to him 

 any insects that I found imitated by others, to see 

 whether they were distasteful or not. I found he 

 would never eat the Heliconii. He was too polite not to 

 take them when they were oftered to him, and would 

 sometimes smell them, but invariably rolled them up 

 in his hand and dropped them quietly again after a 

 few moments. There could be no doubt, however, 



* Loc. cit. p. 510 ; Danvinism, p. 234. 



* Naturalist in Nicaragua, p. 109. 



