642 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVII. 



Caslalius rosimon. — Quite common during the earlier months of the year, and 

 after the rains. 



Aphnceus ictis. — Taken at Allahabad towards the end of the rains. Not very 

 plentiful. 



Rapala schistacea. — -Taken sparingly at Moradabad during February and 

 March, but by no means common. 



Rapala orseis. — More plentiful than the above, but not common. Taken at 

 the same time of year. 



Arhopala amantes. — A single specimen taken, a beautiful fresh male, at Alla- 

 habad in March. This is the only one I have come across in the U. P. though 

 it is said to be taken at Jubbulpore some 60 miles south of Allahabad. 



The "skippers " I have unfortunately never been able to classify as I only 

 possess Bingham's books, but while I was at Agra I took three kinds that I had 

 not taken elsewhere, and which seemed to me to be rare. 



G. G. FIELD, 



Indian Police. 



No. XIX.— THE ENEMIES OF BUTTERFLIES. 



It is now over ten years since any notes appeared in the Journal dealing with 

 the interesting question of the enemies of butterflies, so it is hoped that these 

 observations will have some value, if only to confirm the observations of earlier 

 writers. 



That birds do eat butterflies is an established fact, as I have repeatedly seen 

 them doing so. Moreover, most of them are absolutely indiscriminate in their 

 choice of food. There is hardly any question of palatability, as I have noticed 

 them eating a Danaid with the same impartiality as they would a Lycaenid. 

 Some butterflies are midoubtedly mitasteful, but when forced by hmiger, a bird 

 such as a Mynah or a Bee-eater will eat almost anything, though a bird of more 

 specialized habits may be more discriminate. Contrary to the statements of 

 some famous zoologists I do not believe that birds are the chief enemies of butter- 

 flies, as, according to my notes and the observations of others, the number they 

 destroy- is comparatively small. This is probably due to the fact that other 

 insects are more tasteful and abmidant. The following is a list of birds I have 

 actually seen attacking butterflies, but it is very incomplete, as the Shrikes, 

 Pittas, Nightjars, etc., are known to attack and eat them ; the Green Magpie 

 (Gissa chimensis), the Tree-isie [Dendrocitta rufa), the Black Drongo [Dicrurus 

 ater), the Common Mynah {Acriclotheres tristis), and the Jmiglc and House Crows 

 (Corvus macrorynchus & G. splendens). It should be noted here, that when a 

 butterfly is seen with damaged wings, it is not always a sign of attack, as I have 

 often seen them get damaged while trying to fly about among dense shrubbery. 

 Monkeys are said to eat butterflies. A hungry one will probably do so in captiv- 

 ity if fed with them, but I doubt very much if they can be classed as an "enemy" 

 in the natural state. While collecting in a district, where monkeys and langurs 

 abounded, I never once saw them attacking a butterfly, but the natives informed 

 me that they sometimes do.* 



In my opinion the worst enemies of butterflies among the Vertebrates are the 

 Lacertilia. Lizards of the genera Galotes and Varanus destroy large numbers, 

 and I feel confident that others also feed partly on butterflies, though I have 

 never witnessed it myself. The common house-lizard will sometimes eat a 



* Since this was written Dr. Baini Prashad tells me that he has collected or 

 lived, in districts where monkeys were plentiful, and has kept them as pets but 

 he has never seen them e;\tiug a butterfly, and does not believe that they do so. 



