xli, xlii] Ci. 
that Limenitis disippus has never been seen to be attacked, 
goes to confirm the conclusion that it is also inedible. 
Professor Packard then proceeds to give the observations of 
Mr. Finn given in his ‘‘Contributions to the Theory of 
Warning Colours and Mimicry.” Little need be said here 
on the subject of these experiments, except to quote Mr. Finn’s 
final conclusions: “That many, probably most, species (of 
birds) dislike, if not intensely, at any rate in comparison with 
other butterflies, the ‘warningly coloured’ Danaine, Acrea 
viole, Delias eucharis and Papilio aristolochix ; of these the 
last being the most distasteful, and the Danainx the least so.” 
In the paper under discussion considerable space is devoted 
to enumerating instances of birds eating butterflies both 
under natural conditions and in captivity, and the general 
impression to be gained from the expressed opinions of the 
various authorities quoted may be summed up in the state- 
ment that whilst some birds in the wild state, and many in 
captivity, show a marked appetite for butterflies, observations 
of instances of the destruction of the latter by the former are 
of rare occurrence. 
It should not be however forgotten that where evidence 
of such destruction has been systematically sought it has been 
found to be plentiful, and I would refer those interested to 
the very extensive work in this direction which has been 
carried out by Mr. G. A. K. Marshall in South Africa, a full 
description of which has been given in the joint communica- 
tion of that author and Professor Poulton, and published in 
the Transactions of this Society for 1902. 
There is, however, one aspect of the matter which the 
writer does not remember to have been previously put forward, 
and that is the possible value of the force of example amongst 
birds. It is well known that young birds are to some extent 
trained by the example of their parents in many matters 
which make for their ultimate success in the battle for 
existence. They may and probably do indulge in much 
experimental tasting, but the extent of such action may toa 
great extent be curtailed by the example of the parents in 
selecting more satisfactory food than butterflies in their 
present condition afford. Such a state of affairs would 
