COLOURED JUICES 
517 
entomology, the late Prof. Edlix Plateau, 1 tried to get to the root 
of the matter by eating, or at any rate chewing, Abraxas grossulariata 
and its larva and pupa. Mr. Marshall has also tried many tasting 
experiments with South African butterflies. 2 The results were in 
both cases inconclusive. Prof. Poulton thinks that this is only what 
might have been expected, since we have no right to suppose that a 
given butterfly tastes the same to us as to an insectivorous bird. It 
might be added that the likes and dislikes of our domesticated 
mammals differ from our own. I must confess that no enthusiasm 
has so far availed to bring me to the point of chewing a butterfly. 
However, occasionally I have ventured to taste a minute drop of 
the yellow liquid, with somewhat unsatisfactory results. 
Telchinia violae , Fabr. (India, 1904). “ When injured a yellow 
juice exudes; a minute drop of this placed on the tongue tasted 
somewhat bitter and disagreeable, but the flavour was by no means 
strong.” 3 (Ceylon, 1908). “ The yellow juice slightly bitter.” 
Crastia asela, Moore. (Ceylon, 1908). In two males the juice 
was found to be tasteless: in another it had a slight, (?) bitter taste. 
In two females it was noted as “ nearly tasteless,” “ tasteless, or 
nearly so.” 
Pademma sinhala, Moore. (Ceylon, 1908), The yellowish juice 
of a male is recorded as “ (?) tasteless.” 
Trepsichrois midamus, Linn, (superba, Herbst). (Hong-Kong, 1904). 
“ The yellow juice expressed by pinching has no marked taste.” 
Acraea natalica, Boisd. (S. Africa, 1905). The yellow juice 
slightly acrid. 
A yellow juice, similar in appearance, has been noted in certain 
Heterocera believed to be distasteful. I give the instances which 
have attracted my attention. 
Obeidia tigrata, Guen. (Hong-Kong, 1904). A conspicuous day¬ 
flying Geometer, allied to our Magpie-moth. Of this my note is: 
“ Has a somewhat slow flight, and on the wing looks like a yellow 
butterfly; abundant and decidedly gregarious, many flying about 
one tree in the afternoon. When pinched it exudes a yellow juice 
having a bitter taste.” I do not appear to have examined it for 
scent, but, whether or no it possesses an evil odour, it has other 
characteristics of a distasteful species. 
Gartaletis libyssa, Hopff. (S. Africa, 1905). Dr. Dixey noted of 
1 Mem. de la Soc. Zool. de France , Tome vii., 1894, p. 875, § 7. 
2 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1902, pp. 405-414. 
3 See above, p. 88. 
