Pa ee fy Se el Se op 
ue ; ies 
the Relative Edibility of Insects. 79 
rose-coloured abdomen. It was offered on my hand; 
M, smelt it and left it alone. 
Obs. 676. Sp. 286 B.—Danaida chrysippus, form 
dorippus : the all-orange-brown variety. The butterfly 
was offered between my fingers, held by the body. M, 
took it, let it go, caught it again, tasted it, pulled it 
about, nibbled the abdomen, looked at his fingers as 
if he had soiled them, put down the butterfly and 
allowed it to be blown a little distance away, caught 
it again, pulled it about, tasted it again, and finally 
rubbed his fingers on the ground and left it still 
fluttering. 
(Note-—M,’s repeated efforts to eat this butterfly 
and the rubbing of his fingers on the ground after 
handling it speak eloquently for its distastefulness.) 
Series «. Obs. 684-703. March 2.—In the afternoon, M, 
not having had any insects for some days, as I had 
been away 
Obs. 684. Sp. 314.—Carabid, Tefflus sp.: a very 
large, all-black ground-beetle. | M, watched it run 
about with great intentness; as it came near 
he put out a hand and leapt back high in the air. 
This he did a second time, and then climbed up on 
to his perch and sat. there, obviously unwilling to 
tackle this formidable insect. 
Obs. 685. Sp. 315.—Carabid, Polyhirma sp.: of 
same general type as 25, but with anterior half of 
elytra rusty black: a single median longitudinal 
whitish mark anterior:y, and two oblique whitish 
marks posteriorly. M, at first treated this lke 
the last, though it was considerably smaller, but, 
becoming bolder, in one of his leaps he put out a 
paw and came down heavily on top of the beetle, 
partly crushing it and causing the abdominal viscera 
to protrude. M, pawed the beetle about a little more 
and then rapidly bit off the head and thorax, but 
could not tackle the abdomen, which, after being 
licked and pawed, was left. . 
Obs. 686. Sp, 316.—Meloid, Nemognatha caerulans, 
Fairm.: a small beetle which exposes itself freely on 
composite flower-heads; the head and elytra green, 
) thorax orange. M, pulled it about, put it up to his 
i mouth, pulled it to pieces, and tasted it in great doubt, 
then rubbed the remains on the ground. 
