Revision of British Mollasca. 327 



witli it In a state of nature, and that the bu-J of all others 

 which would be most likelj to come across it was the very 

 one which showed no fear of it, but devoured it with avidity, 

 the protective character of the caterpillar, consisting chiefly 

 in its violent contrasts of colour (for the one experimented 

 with never exserted its tentacles, even when violently 

 pecked), ceases to be of any very great advantage to it. 



On the 25th August I obtained larvte of Spilarctia luhri- 

 cepeda^ which one of my Blackbirds ate directly they were 

 thrown into his cage*. 



My experiments this year have convinced me that the tastes 

 of birds not only differ in individuals of the same species, but 

 that the same individuals in consecutive years vary as to their 

 likes and dislikes ; in the second place they have confirmed 

 the opinion, based upon previous experiments, which I 

 expressed in ray last paper, viz. that no insectivorous bird 

 has the least fear of the largest British spider (doubtless if 

 one offered a Mygale to a Waxbill or Goldcrest the bird would 

 be alarmed) ; thirdly that, as already shown, the imago of 

 Abraxas grossulariata is far from being distasteful, although 

 the larva is distinctly so to many, if not to all, insect-eaters j 

 lastly, that caterpillars and birds do not share with human 

 beings the notion that the line of beauty is terrifying when 

 seen in a large moth-larva. If a caterpillar gets a dig in the 

 back from the beak of a bird it doubles up just as a human 

 being would from a blow on the opposite side of his body ; it 

 does not do it to terrify the bird, but simply because it is in 

 pain. 



XXXIX. — Revision of British Mollusca. By the Rev. 

 Canon A. M. Norman, M.A., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. 



[Continued from p. 91.] 



Order IV. P U L M N A T A. 



It is only in a few cases that I have thought it necessary 

 to make observations on the species of Land and Freshwater 

 Mollusca, nor have I, with few exceptions, given the varieties. 

 These will be found in ' British Conchology ; ' and very 

 much has been written since on the subject in the ' Journal 

 of Conchology,' to which journal it is only requisite to refer 

 those who are interested in the subject. 



* This larva lias since been eaten with satisfaction by a Chaffincb. 



