of all birds to the "Gooseberry Caterpillar," probably that of the Magpie-moth (Abraxas grossulariata). Neither young pheasants, partridges, nor wild-ducks could be induced to eat it, sparrows and finches never touched it, and all birds to whom he offered it rejected it with evident dread and abhorrence. It will be seen that these observations are confirmed by those of two members of the Entomological Society to whom we are indebted for more detailed information. In March, 1869, Mr. J. Jenner Weir communicated a valuable series of observations made during many years, but more especially in the two preceding summers, in his aviary, containing the following birds of more or less insectivorous habits:--Robin, Yellow-Hammer, Reed-bunting, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Crossbill, Thrush, Tree-Pipit, Siskin, and Redpoll. He found that hairy caterpillars were uniformly rejected; five distinct species were quite unnoticed by all his birds, and were allowed to crawl about the aviary for days with impunity. The spiny caterpillars of the Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies were equally rejected; but in both these cases Mr. Weir thinks it is the taste, not the hairs or spines, that are disagreeable, because some very young caterpillars of a hairy species were rejected although no hairs were developed, and the smooth pupae of the above-named butterflies were refused as persistently as the spined larvae. In these cases, then, both hairs and spines would seem to be mere signs of uneatableness. His next experiments were with those smooth gaily-coloured caterpillars which never conceal themselves, but on the contrary appear to court observation. Such are those of the Magpie moth (Abraxas grossulariata), whose caterpillar is conspicuously white and black spotted--the Diloba coeruleocephala, whose larvae is pale yellow with a broad blue or green lateral band--the Cucullia verbasci, whose larvae is greenish white with yellow bands and black spots, and Anthrocera filipendulae (the six spot Burnet moth), whose caterpillar is yellow with black spots. These were given to the birds at various times, sometimes mixed with other kinds of larvae which were greedily eaten, but they were in every case rejected apparently unnoticed, and were left to crawl about till they died. The next set of observations were on the dull-coloured and protected larvae, and the results of numerous experiments are thus summarised by Mr. Weir. "All caterpillars whose habits are nocturnal, which are dull coloured, with fleshy bodies and smooth skins, are eaten with the greatest avidity. Every species of green caterpillar is also much relished. All Geometrae, whose larvae resemble twigs as they stand out from the plant on their anal prolegs, are invariably eaten."