164 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCINTY. 
course between the Portuguese and the natives becoming greater and 
of a more familiar character, they began to be more observant of the 
language and other things of the country. They noticed that this 
animal was called by the natives Mungutia, Mungus, Mungli and by 
various other names in various places, but that the first two were 
more prevalent, and they now began also to call it Mangus. Ihave 
no doubt that the Dutch and the scientific travellers of other 
nations largely contributed towards generalising its native name, 
Mangoose. 
As years rolled on, the Portuguese, the naturalists and the natives 
all called the animal Mangoose, and thenceforth the Portuguese 
term Bis-cobra fell into oblivion, but among the natives the idea 
of the poisonous reptile Bis-cobra still remained, and it has been 
handed down together with the exaggerated accounts of its tremen- 
dous poisonous properties. 
The natives still believe in its existence, but they, like the Mussul- 
mans of Cowper, are uncertain which animal was meant. Most 
probably having got an idea that it must have been a reptile, they 
have a suspicion that it is a lizard. Here then, [ think, is the origin 
of the belief which the natives have in the poisonous lizard Bis-cobra, 
i 
BUTTERFLIES AND ANTS. 
(With Plates Nos. 26 and 27.) 
By Lions, pe Nickvitie, F. E. 8. 
(Read at the Society’s Meeting on the 7th May, 1888.) 
Tuar there should be any connection between butterflies and 
ants is, I believe, known to few, though as regards one family of 
butterflies at least this relation is a very close and intimate one. 
As a rule, ants are the most deadly and inveterate enemies of but- 
terflies, and ruthlessly destroy and eat them whenever they get 
the chance, as I have frequently found to my sorrow, when in a 
single night a fine brood of larvee has been carried off by ants from 
the food-plant growing in tubs in my verandah, and not a single 
one has been left by the morning. In the case, however, of the 
larvee and pupe of some Lycenide, not only do the ants restrain 
their natural appetites by nob eating these tempting morsels, 
