327 
Revision of British Mollusca. 
with it in a state of nature, and that the bird of all others 
which would be most likely to come across it was the very 
one which showed no fear of it, but devoured it with avidity, 
the protective character of the caterpillar, consisting chiefly 
in its violent contrasts of colour (for the one experimented 
with never exserted its tentacles, even when violently 
pecked) , ceases to be of any very great advantage to it. 
On the 25th August I obtained larvse of Spilarctia lubri - 
cepeddj which one of my Blackbirds ate directly they were 
thrown into his cage*. 
My experiments this year have convinced me that the tastes 
of birds not only differ in individuals of the same species, but 
that the same individuals in consecutive years vary as to their 
likes and dislikes ; in the second place they have confirmed 
the opinion, based upon previous experiments, which I 
expressed in my last paper, viz. that no insectivorous bird 
has the least fear of the largest British spider (doubtless if 
one offered a My gale to a Waxbill or Goldcrest the bird would 
be alarmed) ; thirdly that, as already shown, the imago of 
Abraxas grossulariata is far from being distasteful, although 
the larva is distinctly so to many, if not to all, insect-eaters ; 
lastly, that caterpillars and birds do not share with human 
beings the notion that the line of beauty is terrifying when 
seen in a large moth-larva. If a caterpillar gets a dig in the 
back from the beak of a bird it doubles up just as a human 
being would from a blow on the opposite side of his body ; it 
does not do it to terrify the bird, but simply because it is in 
pain. 
XXXIX. — Revision of British Mollusca . By the Rev. 
Canon A. M. Norman, M.A., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. 
[Continued from p. 91.] 
Orderly. PULMONATA. 
It is only in a few cases that I have thought it necessary 
to make observations on the species of Land and Freshwater 
Mollusca, nor have I, with few exceptions, given the varieties. 
These will be found in c British Conchology ; ’ and very 
much has been written since on the subject in the ( Journal 
of Conchology,’ to which journal it is only requisite to refer 
those who are interested in the subject. 
* This larva has since been eaten with satisfaction by a Chaffinch. 
23* 
