33 
ments were so minute that this could not be done. In 
each of the twenty cases the insect remains are mounted 
on a card with scrupulous care. The immense amount of 
labour involved may be inferred from the following de- 
scription of the fragments obtained from the faeces of a 
Mongoose (probably Herpestes badius-gracilis) at Salisbury, 
in April 1903 :— 
315 heads of worker termites. 
83 heads of soldier termites (of at least 2 species). 
Heads and other parts of 37 ants (of 4 or 5 species). 
Fragments of g beetles (7 Opatrum arenarium and 
2 Usagaria australis). 
Fragments of 1 Pentatomid bug. 
It is obvious that Mr. Marshall has here obtained, and 
made available for the study of naturalists, the most satis- 
factory and convincing evidence of certain aspects of the 
struggle for existence which is endured by insects. Some of 
the results are most surprising and interesting. Many 
persons are inclined to regard. the stinging Hymenoptera 
as immune from attack, but a large proportion of the birds 
had devoured Aculeates of various kinds. Upon the whole 
these insects were much less fragmentary than the others, 
while some of them were entire. It may be inferred that 
the sting or the ejection of formic acid causes least incon- 
venience to a bird when the insect is swallowed whole—a con- 
clusion also supported by Mr. Marshall’s observation in 1899 
upon a Kestrel, which invariably refused certain beetles which 
discharge an acid secretion when presented tail first, but 
always ate them when presented head first (Trans. Ent. 
Soc. Lond., 1902, pp. 342-3). 
The whole of these interesting accessions will be described 
in detail at no distant date, together with many other of 
Mr. Marshall’s gifts presented in 1902. 
Seventy-three insects of various Orders, chiefly butterflies 
from interesting localities in Northern British Guiana (1g02- 
1903), were collected and presented by Dr. Richard Evans, 
Cc 
