MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 643 



Lycsenid if offered one, and some Microlepidoptera, but as a rule nothing larger, 

 Of all the lizards the Bengal Monitor, Varanus bengalensis, is, I think, the great- 

 est enemy of butterflies. Dr. Baini Prashad very kindly informs me that he 

 has opened up several Calotes and Varanus and that he has often found the 

 remains of butterflies in them, especially in the latter.* 



The Tree-snakes probably feed to a large extent on the smaller Rhopalocera, 

 such as the Lycaenidse and some Pieridae. On a small island in the Chilka Lake 

 which I visited through the kindness of Dr. Annandale, I twice saw Dendrel 

 aphis tristis attacking and eating specimens of Cololis Calais amatus and Hujihina 

 nerissa evagete, both of Avhich are very common at certain seasons in these parts. 



My experiences of the insect enemies of butterflies are limited to two occa- 

 sions, once when I saw an A^ilid preying on a butterfly, and the other when I 

 saw a dragonfly, Prtnfaiajf?ai;esce?is, attacking one. It is more than probable, 

 however, that many species belonging to various families of the Orthoptcra, 

 Hymenoptera, Diptera, Neuropteraf and Colcoptera either suck, or eat parts of, 

 butterflies. But this remains to be proved by observations in the field. 



While on the subject of the " Enemies of Butterflies " a few words as to the 

 utility of "mimicry" among them may not be out of place. I will venture no 

 definite conclusion; "mimicry" is probably very useful, but my notes tend 

 to show that the common Indian mimetic species generally derive but little 

 benefit from the resemblance. I have seen the " mimetic " females of Papilio 

 polytes and HypoUmnas bolina repeatedly attacked by birds and lizards ; but, 

 for that matter I have seen the models themselves being attacked. I once fed a 

 captive Calotes with three species of butterflies; Huphina nerissa evagete, Danais 

 chrysippus and the aristolochia-like female of Papilio polytes, all three of which 

 it ate in a few hours. It showed not the slightest discernment as it started with 

 the Papilio and finished with the Huphina. If birds and lizards are, in most 

 cases, apparently incapable of discernment, what is the use of " mimicry" ? 



In view of the evidence it would seem that an ordinary enemy of not very 

 specialized habits will eat almost anything when forced by hunger, but that 

 enemies of more specialized habits, who are particular about the nature and 

 flavour of their food, will give untasteful butterflies, and occasionally their 

 "mimics " a wide berth. 



CEDRIC DOVER. 

 Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta, Sejitember, 1920. 



No. XX.— A NOTE ON A CASE OF A BITE BY RUSSELL'S VIPER 

 TREATED WITH ANTI-VENINE INTRAVENOUSLY. 



Bewa Janoo, a mali, about 45 years of age, was cutting some shrubs in the 

 garden of the Parel Convent when he was suddenly bitten by a snake on the out- 

 side of the left ankle. 



The date and hour of the bite was at about 6-45 p.m. on the 20th June 1920. 



The mali killed the snake with the knife he was using to cut the shrubs and 

 took it to the Mother Superior. This lady advised him to run at once to the 

 Bombay Bacteriological Laboratory which is about half a mile distant from 

 the Convent. A ligature was applied to the leg below the knee before he left 

 the Convent. 



* I have since fed a common house lizard with a Fierid which it ate, and 

 I have occasionally seen them eating a fairly large moth which is very common 

 in Calcutta now. •, • , j ii 



f * 1 ave used the word Neuroptera in its old sense, as it includes tUe 

 V jwer oAirs Odonata, etc., for convenience sake. — C. D. 



