VALIDITY OF SOME FORMS OF MIMICRY. 705 



I'equires a quick eye anil some experience to discriminate between 

 Euplcea and Papilio clytia I'ace panope and between Danais 

 limniace and the dlssimiUs form of P. clytia, especially when on 

 the wing." In reply to a queiy of mine on this point Mr. W. F. H. 

 Rosenberg writes: — " London, August 29tl), 1910. During my 

 travels in Colombia and Ecuador I found that mimicking species 

 did frequent the same places as their models. For instance, the 

 Dismorphius (Pierines) which mimic certain groups of Ithomiine 

 butterflies, such as Ithomia zelica, were seen Hying in clearings 

 in woods etc., in company with the Ithomias. It is curious to 

 note, however, that there is a slight difference, difficult to 

 describe, in the mode of flight of the two groups, so much so 

 that a trained collector would rarely mistake one for the other. 

 Again, the S. American Acneines of the genua Aotinote, which 

 settle in groups on damp patches of sand, have their mimics in 

 the shape of Nymphalines of the genus Eresia. But while the 

 Actinotes will allow themselves to be picked up with the fingers, 

 the Eresias always fiy up on the appi'oach of danger." 



The Rev. St. Aubyn Rogers also, in his well known paper on 

 East African l)uttertlies, mentions how often at first he was 

 deceived by model and mimic, but how after a short ac({uaintance 

 he readily recognized them. 



But confining myself to Ceylon, the ease with which every case 

 of mimicry occurring there can usually be detected, causes me to 

 be in sympathy with those who consider that this constitutes a 

 great difficulty in the acceptance both of Batesiaii and Miillerian 

 mimicry. Both reptiles and birds are well represented, and in 

 order to afford a complete study of the fauna I propose taking 

 them in order, first dealing with the reptiles. I can scarcely 

 hope not to have overlooked some species, but I trust there is no 

 serious erroi-. 



The Lizards of Ceylon. 



Five families are represented ; namely Geckonidfe, Varan idte, 

 Scincidpe, Lacertidfe, and Agamida?. The first three of these are 

 almost unquestionably of no account in our enquiry. The 

 Geckonidje are mostly nocturnal with but one diurnal species, 

 Gonatodea kand/mnas, common in houses at Kandy and confined 

 to that part of the island. The Geckos I have observed feeding 

 at night were quite indiscriminate in their captures. Of the 

 Varanidse, two species ai'e large carnivorous lizards, commonly 

 called iguanas, frequently attaining a length of three or even four 

 feet. One species when young ascends trees, and Mr. Rosenberg 

 has seen a Mexican species eating butterflies. 



The Scincidte has four genera, Acontias, Chalcidoseps, 

 Lygosoma, and Mabuia. The first has four species with limbs 

 rudimentary or absent ; in appearance they are very like our slow- 

 worms but smaller. One species, A. hurtoni, is usually found 

 under stones, and the others, so far as I have been able to 

 ascertain, inhabit similar situations. They appear to feed on 



