172. Mr. E. A. @@ckayne’s Notes on insect enemies. 
probably influences it unfavourably by destroying pro- 
tected species or their mimics, which, owing to their slow 
flight, may fall victims in numbers out of proportion to 
those of the swifter unprotected species. 
In birds I saw little positive evidence that they prey 
on butterflies, but it was quite obvious they were unwilling 
to chase butterflies flying actively in the sunshine. I often 
saw one almost touch the head of a drongo and yet never 
saw one attacked. 
On March 31st, at Colombo, I saw a Syntomid, one of a 
family usually considered distasteful, caught on the wing 
and eaten by a sparrow; and on April 12th at Haragdma, 
Ceylon, a sparrow chased an <Appias paulina, but soon 
gave up. 
On June 10th, at Colombo, a magpie-robin ate a female 
Llymnias fraterna, which I had been offering to a lizard, 
and which fluttered on to the ground. Its resemblance to 
D. chrysippus, or plexippus, did not save it. The evidence 
of birds attacking butterflies collected by Marshall and 
others is too strong to be disregarded, and one cannot 
help thinking they are a very strong influence at work in 
causing and improving many of the wonderful examples 
of mimicry now so well known. 
