RESEMBLANCES AMONG ANIMALS. 61 



exposed and moved its head and antenna? as many 

 other butterflies do, its disguise would be of little 

 avail. We might be sure, however, from the analogy 

 of many other cases, that the habits of the insect are 

 such as still further to aid its deceptive garb ; but 

 we are not obliged to make any such supposition, since 

 I myself had the good fortune to observe scores of 

 Kallima paralekta, in Sumatra, and to capture many 

 of them, and can vouch for the accuracy of the fol- 

 lowing details. These butterflies frequent dry forests 

 and fly very swiftly. They were never seen to settle 

 on a flower or a green leaf, but were many times lost 

 sight of in a bush or tree of dead leaves. On such oc- 

 casions they were generally searched for in vain, for 

 while gazing intently at the very spot where one had 

 disappeared, it would often suddenly dart out, and 

 again vanish twenty or fifty yards further on. On 

 one or two occasions the insect was detected reposing, 

 and it could then be seen how completely it assimilates 

 itself to the surrounding leaves. It sits on a nearly 

 upright twig, the wings fitting closely back to back, 

 concealing the antennaB and head, which are drawn up 

 between their bases. The little tails of the hind wing 

 touch the branch, and form a perfect stalk to the leaf, 

 which is supported in its place by the claws of the 

 middle pair of feet, which are slender and inconspicu- 

 ous. The irregular outline of the wings gives exactly 

 the perspective effect of a shrivelled leaf. We thus 

 have size, colour, form, markings, and habits, all com- 

 bining together to produce a disguise which may be 



