518 
BIONOMIC NOTES 
this remarkable Geometer, “ which no doubt belongs to the synaposem- 
atic group headed by D. chrysippus, exuded when pinched a yellowish 
juice like that of an Acraea. The juice was scentless.” 1 
Duschema transversa, Walk. (Oeylon, 1908). Of this handsome, 
very slow-flying, diurnal Geometer I recorded that it was extremely 
tenacious of life, but that its yellow juice was tasteless. 
Chalcosia venosa, Walk. (Ceylon, 1908). This day-flying moth 
flutters much about trees (especially Litsaea zealanica , N. ab. E.), 
moving, however, faster from one tree to another, when its flight is 
somewhat “ vapouring.” It is tenacious of life, resisting alike pinch¬ 
ing and chloroform. It has a peculiar, faint, disagreeable odour, and 
exudes a yellow juice, the flavour of which still invites investigation. 
Deilemera ( Nyctemera ) annulata , Boisd. (New Zealand, 1910). 
This abundant moth is very tenacious of life ; when pinched a yellow 
juice exudes which is tasteless, and if not also inodorous, very 
nearly so. 
In contrast to these somewhat ambiguous results is the con¬ 
spicuous S. African Acridian, Pliymateus leprosies, Serv., which 
when touched emits copiously from the mouth a dark olive-green, 
very fetid fluid; accidentally tasted, this proved to be both bitter 
and unpleasant. 2 
§ 3. The Tenacity of Life of Protected Species. 
That the Danainae and some other butterflies have unusually 
tough integuments which enable them to resist injuries such as would 
rapidly prove fatal to the butterfly of ordinary constitution has been 
long well known. 3 So far the undoubted fact rests to a great extent 
upon general statements, but it has occurred to the writer that it may 
be capable of approximate numerical expression. 
With tropical collectors it is a familiar experience that at the 
close of the day, on opening the paper envelopes to examine their 
captures, many of the butterflies are found to be still living. It is 
an equally general experience that this is especially frequent with 
Danainae. 
It has for some time past been my practice to enter in my note¬ 
book against the data referring to such long-lived individuals, “ Ten. 
vit.” ( tenax vitae). During my visit to Ceylon in the early months 
1 Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond ., 1906, p. vi. 
2 See above, p. 204. 
3 See e.g. Poulton, “ Essays on Evolution,” 1908, pp. 279, 316. Cf. Bingham, 
“ Fauna of British India : Butterflies,” 1905, vol. i., p. 2. Also Marshall, Trans. Ent. 
Soc. Lond., 1902, pp. 322, 323. 
