122 THE ENEMIES OF BUTTERFLIES [ch. 



the monkey put it into his mouth, he at once took it 

 out again and looked at it with the utmost surprise 

 for some seconds, and then threw it away. He would 

 have nothing to do with an Acraea caldarena which I 

 then offered him^." 



The experiments with the baboons were more ex- 

 tensive. Two species of Acraea, halali and axina, 

 were recognised when first offered and refused un- 

 tasted. Danais chrysippus, on the other hand, was 

 tasted on being offered for the first time, and then 

 rejected. This species was twice offered subsequently 

 and tasted each time before being rejected. When 

 offered the fourth time it was rejected at sight. The 

 baboon evidently learned to associate an unpleasant 

 taste with the chrysippus pattern. At this stage it 

 would have been interesting to have offered it some 

 well-known mimic of chrysippus, such as the female 

 of Hypolimnas misippus or the trophonius form of 

 Papilio dardanus, but this experiment was unfortunately 

 not made. Marshall did, however, offer it at the same 

 time a specimen each of Byhlia ilithyia (a Vanessid) 

 and of Acraea axina to which it bears a general 

 resemblance. The baboon took the former but ne- 

 glected the latter altogether. The general resemblance 

 between the two species was not sufficiently close to 

 deceive it. 



These experiments with mammals, though few in 

 number, are of unusual interest. Should they be 

 substantiated by further work it is not impossible 



1 Marshall, toe. cit. p. 379. 



