Tlir Bionomics, of Sonfh African Insects. 297 



Rub-faiiiilies of butterflies, to Coleoptera as well as to 

 Lepidoptera. 



I cannot conclude without warmly thanking my friend 

 Mr. Marshall for the pleasure I have enjoyed in the work 

 which Ave have done together. 



E. B. P. 



2. Experiments on Mantid^: in Natal and Rhodesia. 



(G. A. K. M.) Natal, Fchruary 1897. 



I. Gave a wingless Acrxct Ucn'ta to a Mantis. It seized 

 it and threw it away. On a second presentation it felt 

 the butterfly carefully with its antennae, then took it and 

 began eating first the haustellum, 'then the palpi, and 

 finally the whole head with apparent relish. On biting 

 at the thorax, however, it threw it down with evident 

 disgust and began wiping its mouth on its fore-legs as 

 though to take away the taste. I again presented the 

 butterfly, but the Mantis at first only ran away from it. 

 At last it took it again and began eating the thorax, but 

 quickly threw it down and would have nothing more to 

 do with it. 



II. Experiment a. — Caught a full-grown Mantis and put 

 it in a large green gauze bag. In the afternoon put in 

 a house-fly, which was not eaten that day, but was gone 

 next morning. Then put in a wingless male A. horta (a 

 bitter yellow juice exuded from the wing stumps). On 

 perceiving it the Mantis ran towards it, seized it and made 

 a bite at the back of the thorax, but started back as if in 

 great surprise, and wiped his mouth on his front legs. He 

 exhibited both fear and curiosity ; for as the Acriea ap- 

 proached he edged away, just keeping far enough olT to 

 be able to touch it with the end of his long antenna:', and 

 when the Acrma walked away he followed, still feeling it 

 over. At this point I was called away, and on my return 

 found that the Acrxu had been eaten all except the head and 

 apical half of the abdomen. Afterwards put into the bag 

 the Ariiavris echcria. which had been rejected by spider C 

 (Experiment 13), and which was half dead. As the 

 Mantis took no notice of it I left, but on inspection in 

 the evening I found that this butterfly had been entirely 

 devoured, only a few small fragments of wings and legs 

 being left. 



Experiment h. — Gave the Mantis a pei'feet male A. 



