{21) 



VI. Fcmarls vpon certain Caterpillars, ^'c, ivJiich are 

 unpalatable to their enemies. By A. G. Butlee, 

 F.L.S., &c. 



[Bead 1st March, 1S69.] 



As I understood that my friend Mr. Jenner Weir was 

 intending to bring forward this evening the results of 

 his experiments in regard to the insect-food of birds, I 

 thought it might not be out of place to bring together 

 such facts as I have myself observed, with regard to the 

 rejection of certain larvas and imagines by lizards, frogs, 

 and spiders. 



In the year 1863, I purchased three green lizards 

 {Lacerta viriclis) which I turned into a glass case, out of 

 doors ; this vivarium measured one yard square, and had 

 been especially constructed with a view to keeping 

 reptiles ; I had so arranged the plants, and modelled 

 the earth in this case, that the lizards might well suppose 

 themselves to be at liberty, and I have no doubt they 

 did so ; they ate enormously, so much so indeed, that I 

 made a note of the number of victims devoured by them 

 between the 3rd and 13th of July, 1863, which was as 

 follows : — " 119 large flies {Eristalis vulpinns) , numerous 

 bluebottles, house-flies, and caterpillars (chiefly Mamcstra 

 hrassicm and Phragmatohia fulicjinosa) , 3 humble bees 

 [Boinhus terrcstris) , and 14 white butterflies [Pieris hras- 

 sicoi and rapai) ." 



Notwithstanding their eagerness for food of all kinds, 

 from a lemon-cheesecake to a spider, there were some 

 catei'pillars, and even moths, which they would seize 

 only to drop in disgust ; amongst these, all that I 

 especially took note of at the time, were the caterpillar 

 of Abraxas (jrossulariata-, and the imago of Avthrocera 

 filipemJidce ; I bred a hundred of the latter species in the 

 year 1864, to try and establish a colony of them at South 

 Kensington, and though I repeatedly turned crippled 

 specimens into my lizard-house, none were ever swal- 

 lowed ; a lizard might spring at the insect when intro- 

 duced, but after a severe pinch, which did not disable 

 it, but disgusted its captor, it was flung away, and not 

 again disturbed. 



TEANS. ENT. SOC. 1869. — PABT I. (APEIL) . 



