1912.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 285 
experimenter, or other disturbing elements. Disregard is a frequent 
phenomenon in experiments with birds of mixed feeding habits, 
which are most frequently used because more easily provided for 
in captivity. These birds have no great natural fondness for insects, 
and certainly not for adults of the order—Lepidoptera—most 
frequently used in the experiments. The insignificance of disregard 
is shown throughout Frank Finn’s experiments, in the accounts of 
which (Journ. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 1895, 1896, 1897), very common 
expressions concerning cases in which certain butterflies were not 
eaten in the presence of the experimenter are: ‘‘The butterflies 
were all gone later on,” ‘Next day all the butterflies were gone,” 
etc. In fact, more than 64 per cent. of the butterflies which were 
left in the cages were eaten in the absence of the experimenter, and 
more than 77 per cent. of those eaten belonged to the “nauseous” 
group. The experiments of 8. D. Judd (see pp. 332-352) show that 
disregard bears no particular relation either to acceptances or to 
rejections, and certainly none to natural preferences. Thus, of the 
three categories of insects offered to the birds, namely, ‘‘warningly 
colored”’ insects, others “specially defended,”’ and ‘‘non-protected”’ 
forms, practically the same proportions (17 to 19 per cent.) were 
rejected, while the percentage disregarded varied from 3 to 11. 
In Poulton’s tabulations of experiments (P. Z. S., 1887) disregard 
is usually reckoned practically the same as a refusal. Indeed, the 
original tendency was to consider that disregard showed much 
greater distaste than any result following trial, for it is pointed out 
(pp. 198, 194) that the brilliant colors of caterpillars to be of value 
must generally prevent even trial, because of the fatal consequences 
to these larve of very slight wounds. However, Poulton states that 
out of thirty-seven cases in the “nauseous” group, fifteen were 
exposed to hungry animals, other food being withheld, and of the 
fifteen only three remained untasted. Of these two have been 
shown to be eaten under certain circumstances (p. 225). Poulton 
estimates disregard properly in one case, that of Lasiocampa quercus 
larve. These were disregarded by birds and lizards, and the com- 
ment on the’evidence is, “Neutral as far as the adult larva is con- 
cerned”’ (p. 209). Asa matter of fact, disregard is no more of neutral 
significance in this case than in the fifteen others in which disregard 
or disregard plus acceptance is the sole evidence upon which proof 
of distastefulness is claimed. The fact that nine of the eighteen 
insects of the ‘‘unpalatable” group are known to be eaten by wild 
