The Bionomics of South African Insects. 330 



prey did not include members of the insect Order which it 

 was desired to test. European lizards freely eat insects of 

 all Orders, and have been found very satisfactory for such 

 experiments. The African species which Mr. Marshall has 

 actually seen hunting butterflies (see p. 435) should afford 

 very valuable testimony as to the relative palatability of 

 various Lepidopterous species and groups. Even if in- 

 tolerant of captivity, they would probably thrive in an 

 enclosure out of doors, with plenty of air, sun, and space. 

 — E. B. P.] 



Estcourt, Oct. 15, 189G. — I have just got a lizard to try 

 experiments on with regard to the edibility of insects, but 

 though it eats Diptera and some Orthoptera readily, it 

 will not look at any of the butterflies I have given it, viz. 

 Tcrias hrigitta, Pontia hcllica, and Zeritis taiJcosama. I 

 had previously tried an Agama lizard with the same result, 

 as I found that its natural food consisted almost entirely 

 of ants. 



Malvern, Feb. 21, 1897. — I have found Pontia hellica 

 to be distasteful to a lizard. 



Salislmry, March 6-10, 1898. — I kept a lizai'd for about 

 a week, but it refused to eat any of the butterflies I gave 

 it, but as it also refused termites the results were unre- 

 liable, and I let it go. In experiments of this kind the 

 natural habits of the predatory animal must be taken into 

 account, and the fact that a lizard prefers a fly to a butter- 

 fly may in some cases have no greater significance, so far 

 as mimetic problems are concerned, than that a frugivorous 

 bird prefers a berry to a butterfly. 



SciUsbury, June 5, 1898. — I have made several attempts 

 at experiments witli butterflies and lizards, but with no 

 satisfactory results, as the latter seem to be unwilling to 

 eat anytliing at all in captivity, remaining in a sort of 

 listless condition. 



Malvern, May 14, 1897. — Caught three frogs and put 

 them in a box, and put in a wingless specimen of Aerxct 

 natalica. After a short interval the largest frog swallowed 

 it. He made no sign to show that it was distasteful, nor 

 did he disgorge it afterwards. For several days I put in 

 specimens of various species, both edible and otherwise, 

 but as none of the frogs paid the slightest attention to 

 them I ceased to experiment. 



