330 Mr. C. F. M. Swvnnerton's Experiments 



to be attacked somewhat less readily than the two butter- 

 flies, but once definitely seized was carried along fairly 

 fast ; the Amauris was dragged wings and all, and, con- 

 sidering that it made a broad and heavy load, proceeded 

 with considerable speed. It was at the hole and in process 

 of being diswinged there before the A. areca had travelled 

 more than three or four inches. I had noticed at first 

 three or four ants withdraw on coming into contact with 

 the liquid exuding from the nervures of the Acraea's wing- 

 stumps, but the butterfly's juices, though normal in 

 quantity, were either insufficient or not unpleasant enough 

 to keep its enemies off. At this moment a fresh rush 

 occurred, and I at once returned the two Epilachnas, the 

 Mijlahris, the two larvae and the fly to the main track. 

 The two ladybirds were at once carried off into the drive, 

 as was, after more in the way of hesitation and temporary 

 abandonments, the Acraea larva ; the Mylabris was carried 

 to the mouth of the drive, but as I saw him crawling about 

 that neighbourhood half an hour later was probably aban- 

 doned there or just inside. Considerable disinclination 

 was still shown to attack the Amauris larva, and it was 

 only by moving it frequently in their midst that I irritated 

 them (for that I presume was it) sufiiciently to make them 

 really attack it. When they did, they attacked with the 

 utmost ferocity, and having killed or practically killed the 

 larva, carried it along to the drive. I rescued it at the last 

 moment, wishing to use it further. It had this time emitted 

 no dark juice. 



Similar, if not greater, disinclination was shown to 

 attack the fly, but finally this, too, was seized and carried 

 along by one big warrior. It was still a considerable 

 time before the A. areca reached its destination, and was 

 there broken up and carried in, but there was never any 

 abandonment of it ; it was always covered with ants. 



At about this stage I again put in the Amauris larva, 

 and, on the magnifying glass to which it was attached 

 a freshly pupated individual of Amauris albimandafa, 

 somewhat crushed accidentally. The ants refused the 

 larva, and though numbers swarmed upon the glass to the 

 pupa all retreated on coming into contact with either it 

 or its fluid, and no attempt was made to carry if off. I 

 tasted the fluid; it was to me reminiscent simply of raw 

 leaves of no very definite kind. 



Later, haA-ing again ascertained that the ants would not 



