034 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
in—a spirited, dashing performance—but never, I think—that 
is, as far as I have seen—actually touches the quarry, which, 
however, is much worried, and, owing to these Red Admirals’ 
much greater powers of flight, quite unable to retaliate. She 
seeks only to get away, either making for the tree, to which she 
is not close followed, or getting under full flight for home or 
elsewhere, when the annoyance soon ceases. It is during the 
heavy uncertain circling in the neighbourhood of the tree that 
she is most liable to be thus molested. 
What exactly the mental attitude of the butterfly is, when 
making these sallies, itis not quite easy tosay. It looks, however, 
more like light-hearted gaiety and frolic than real hostile feeling 
towards a rival or possible enemy, which last, however, it may 
be; even amongst birds enmity has sometimes the appearance 
of sport or play. It is curious to see so formidable and formid- 
able-looking an insect as a hornet thus bluffed, as it were, by a 
butterfly, but the fact is interesting also, in another way, since 
it shows that butterflies have perfectly good and accurate eye- 
sight, and can distinguish form as well as colour. To dash at a 
hornet in flight, nearly but not quite touching her, and then to 
keep dashing about her as she moves, annoying, worrying, 
almost assaulting, but always just avoiding her, there must 
needs be perfect definition of the hornet’s outline, and quick and — 
sure following of her movements. Further convincing evidence 
of this fact, which is doubted by Mr. Scudder, has been furnished 
by Bates,* Belt,t and Mr. Scudder} himself, as it appears to me. 
If these bold butterflies (always I am speaking of the Red 
Admiral) do not much fear a hornet in the air, neither do they 
appear to do so when settled on the tree to which they have been 
attracted, and imbibing its juices. Thus I have observed the 
following :— 
(1) A hornet, thus occupied, was driven away by one of 
them flying down upon it, then, returning to the charge, over the 
* Aerial dances of the Heliconii, wherein no two individuals ever touch 
(‘* Contributions to an Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley,” Trans. Linn. 
Soe. vol. xxiii. p. 495). 
+ The easy threading, by certain butterflies, of a maze of spiders’ webs 
(‘ The Naturalist in Nicaragua,’ pp. 108-9). 
} Flying off to fight and returning to the same twig or stone (‘ Frail 
Children of the Air,’ p. 183). 
