in PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCES AMONG ANIMALS 85 



of larvae which were greedily eaten, but they were in every 

 case rejected apparently unnoticed, and were left to crawl 

 about till they died. 



The next set of observations were on the dull-coloured 

 and protected larvae, and the results of numerous experiments 

 are thus summarised by Mr. Weir. "All caterpillars whose 

 habits are nocturnal, which are dull -coloured, with fleshy 

 bodies and smooth skins, are eaten with the greatest avidity. 

 Every species of green caterpillar is also much relished. All 

 Geometrae, whose larvae resemble twigs as they stand out 

 from the plant on their anal prolegs, are invariably eaten." 



At the same meeting Mr. A. G-. Butler, of the British 

 Museum, communicated the results of his observations with 

 lizards, frogs, and spiders, which strikingly corroborate those 

 of Mr. Weir. Three green lizards (Lacerta viridis), which he 

 kept for several years, were very voracious, eating all kinds 

 of food, from a lemon cheesecake to a spider, and devouring 

 flies, caterpillars, and humble bees; yet there were some 

 caterpillars and moths which they would seize only to drop 

 immediately. Among these the principal were the caterpillar 

 of the Magpie moth (Abraxas grossulariata) and the perfect 

 six spot Burnet moth (Anthrocera filipendulae). These would 

 be first seized but invariably dropped in disgust, and after- 

 wards left unmolested. Subsequently frogs were kept and 

 fed with caterpillars from the garden, but two of these that 

 of the before-mentioned Magpie moth, and that of the V. 

 moth (Halia wavaria), which is green with conspicuous white 

 or yellow stripes and black spots were constantly rejected. 

 When these species were first offered, the frogs sprang at 

 them eagerly and licked them into their mouths ; no sooner, 

 however, had they done so than they seemed to be aware of 

 the mistake that they had made, and sat with gaping mouths, 

 rolling their tongues about until they had got quit of the 

 nauseous morsels. 



With spiders the same thing occurred. These two cater- 

 pillars were repeatedly put into the webs both of the 

 geometrical and hunting spiders (Epeira diadema and Lycosa 

 sp.), but in the former case they were cut out and allowed to 

 drop ; in the latter, after disappearing in the jaws of their 

 captor down his dark silken funnel, they invariably reappeared, 



