It will probably be admitted by most people that the evidence, taken all together, is hardly sufficient for ascribing to birds that part in the establishing of a mimetic likeness which is required on the theory of mimicry. That birds destroy butterflies in considerable numbers is certainly true, but it is no less true that some of the most destructive birds appear to exercise no choice in the species of butterfly attacked. They simply take what comes first and is easiest to catch. It is probably for this reason that the Wood-swallow feeds chiefly on Euploeines and Danaines (cf. p. 112). It is probably for this reason also that such a large proportion of the records of attacks on butterflies under natural conditions refer to the Pierines; for owing to {121} their light colour it is probable that the "Whites" are more conspicuous and offer a better mark for a bird in pursuit than darker coloured species. _Mammals._ Apart from man it is clear that only such mammals as are of arboreal habits are likely to cause destruction among butterflies in the imago state. Apparently there are no records of any arboreal mammal, except monkeys, capturing butterflies in the wild state, nor is there much evidence available from feeding experiments. But such evidence as exists is of considerable interest. As the result of feeding butterflies of different sorts to an Indian Tree-shrew (_Tupaia ferruginea_) Finn[76] found that it shewed a strong dislike to Danaids and to _Papilio aristolochiae_ though it took readily _Papilio demoleus_, _Neptis kamarupa_, and _Catopsilia_ (a Pierine). It is fairly certain that if the Tree-shrew is an enemy of butterflies in the wild state it is a discriminating one. The other mammals with which experiments have been made are the common baboon, a monkey (_Cercopithecus pygerythrus_), and a mongoose (_Herpestes galera_)--all by Marshall[77] in South Africa. The mongoose experiments were few and inconclusive, nor is this a matter of much moment as it is unlikely that this mammal is a serious enemy of butterflies. The monkey ate various forms of _Precis_ (a Vanessid), after which it was given _Acraea halali_. This distasteful form was "accepted without suspicion, but when {122} the monkey put it into his mouth, he at once took it out again and looked at it with the utmost surprise for some seconds, and then threw it away. He would have nothing to do with an _Acraea caldarena_ which I then offered him[78]."