226 ANIMAL COLORATION. 



the nest of an Indian Apis, which is quite indistinguishable 

 from the European Galleria melolclla . 



The principal difficulty in adopting the theory of mimicry to 

 account for this special resemblance was pointed out long ago 

 by Mr. Andrew Murray,* though, naturally, not in connection 

 with that theory. 



The objection is that bees would not be so easily deceived as 

 the theory demands : it is well known that they are averse to 

 permitting even individuals belonging to another hive from 

 entering their hive ; indeed, the facility with which other 

 Hymenoptera besides bees recognise the inmates of neigh- 

 bouring hives and nests is one of the most remarkable facts 

 connected with the life histories of these insects. It is, of 

 course, abundantly clear that the VolucMce do get access to 

 the hives, for their larvas are found there ; but whether they 

 .achieve their purpose by an occasional fortunate raid while no 

 bees are about, or are really passed over by the bees which 

 they meet, is at present a little doubtful. A necessary pre- 

 liminary to all speculations concerning mimicry, as well as 

 other theories about colour, is an inquiry into the powers of 

 vision of the animals concerned. This part of the subject is 

 apt to be passed over, or else the sense capacities of animals 

 nre deduced from the phenomena of mimicry a most dangerous 

 reversal of the proper order ; thus, Mr. Grant Allen t suggests 

 that the degree of perfection of mimetic and other resemblances 

 is a gauge of the perceptive powers of the animals concerned ; 

 " disguise has been unconsciously acquired to deceive certain 

 creatures, and it is just sufficiently perfect to deceive them." 



Bees in Europe are attacked by bee-eaters and by Titmice ; 

 toads are said to sit by a wasps' nest, and pick up the wasps 



* " On the Disguises of Nature," Edinburgh Ntu; PluL Jouni., 1859. 

 t Art. " Mimicry," EncycL Brit., 9th ed. 





