348 Frank Finn — Theory nf Warning Colours and Mimicry. [No. 3, 



and most if not all of the warningly-coloured species were left, though 

 the Babbler readily ate grasshoppers. Yet, when I gave an Euploea 

 to the other two Babblers in the cage, one took and ate it whole, though 

 they had had some grasshoppers, and did not eat some Danais chrysippus 

 and genutia which I put in, so far as I saw. 



Between this last date and January 3rd, I took, with one exception, 

 no notes on the behaviour of the Babblers. I added during this time 

 other specimens and had as many as twelve at once. However, I turned 

 out three of these, and started the next series of experiments with nine 

 birds, including the three used in the above series of experiments. I 

 have a note for December 28th, on which date I gave the Babblers a 

 small black and yellow zygaenid moth, which none touched, though 

 some evidently saw it. The other birds had been removed. 



Before begiuning to take the systematic notes which follow, I had 

 more than once given the birds butterflies, and had seen Danais, &c, 

 devoured. I cannot give the exact dates of the experiments following, 

 but they took place on and after January 3rd of 1895, on consecutive 

 days for the most part. I have endeavoured to record each day's ex- 

 periments separately. One and possibly two, of the present birds were 

 young, but my notes are not quite clear on this point. 



Experiments with Babblers in confinement. Series 0. 



I. Put in, in the evening, first some grasshoppers, which were 

 immediately devoured, then some butterflies (Danais chrysippus, genutia 

 and limniace, Euploea, Papilio aristolochiae and some non-warningly co- 

 loured kinds). The Danainae were most numerous, and all were at- 

 tacked, but the non-warningly-coloured species disappeared first. How- 

 ever, all the others but one Danais genutia and the Papilio aristolochiae 

 were killed and more or less mauled, and some eaten. I saw one bird 

 take and reject an Euploea, and another eat one. The Papilio aristolo- 

 chiae was refused four times at least, and sometimes looked at and not 

 touched. I then took it out. A very worn female specimen of Elymnias 

 undularis was one of the first insects seized by the Babblers, as also 

 were the D. limniace. There was food in the cage at the time. 



II. The butterflies offered and partly left yesterday had disappeared 

 this morning, with the exception of a few bits of wing, though there was 

 st ill some food. In the evening \ put some butterflies (one each of Danais 

 chrysippus, genutia, and limniace and some other kinds), into an insect 

 cage, and placing this in the aviary watched the result. One bird went 

 in and took out a CatopsiUa, which seems to be a favourite. Another 

 (young) went in and took a female Elymnias undularis, though he could 

 see its mimetic upperside ; but he lost it. The three Danais were the last 



