a { 168i; 
X. Notes on insect enemies in the Tropres and their influence 
on memicry. By HE, A. Cockayne, F.LS., FES. 
[Read November 16th, 1910.] 
THE influences which have caused and continue to act on 
mimicry in butterflies and other day-flying insects, are 
now recognised to be different, not only in each céuntry, 
but in each case of this form of protection; and any 
observations at first hand which tend to throw light on 
them are consequently valuable. This must be my excuse 
for giving you the following scanty and disconnected notes 
and my reflections on their meaning. I have recently 
spent six weeks in Ceylon, three in Java, three in Celebes, 
and four in Japan, and though spending no time in 
specially looking out for cases of diurnal insects caught by 
their enemies, I was always on the watch for any obvious 
one, and noted it down at once. I will first deal with 
cases of insect enemies which came under my notice, then 
lizards and birds. 
In Ceylon, Java, and Celebes dragonflies were very 
abundant, but, though they frequently had to turn aside 
to avoid a collision with a butterfly, they seemed quite 
indifferent to its proximity. 
The only exception was at Kandy in Ceylon, where I 
saw a small dragonfly, perhaps a Sympetrwm, capture a 
small dull brown Hesperid. The dragonfly fell to the 
earth still holding it, and then let it go. The “skipper” 
flew up and settled on a leaf, apparently unhurt, but the 
dragonfly made no attempt to pursue it. 
Kershaw (Proc. Ent. Soc. 1905) notices a similar 
indifference in South China. 
In Japan dragonflies were less abundant and butterflies 
much fewer, both in species and numbers. At Nara I 
saw a moderate-sized dragonfly carrying a Mycalesis, and 
at Nikko a similar one carrying a specimen of Satyrus 
dryas. I tried to catch the latter and failed, but the 
dragonfly dropped the butterfly, dead, but uneaten. In 
both cases the butterfly captured was a Satyrid, and in 
neither case had the wings been cut off. 
Dr. Longstaff, Trans. Ent. Soc., 1905, p. 135, notes the 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1911.—-PARTI (MAY) 
