Sept. 1, 1S67.] 



HARDWICKE'S S CIE N CE-GO S SIP. 



19;" 



esting discovery that our beautiful little " Orange- 

 tip," one of the gayest and brightest of our native 

 butterflies, was reposing among these flowers in 

 such a manner as to gain a complete protection by 

 its resemblance to them. He was now able to see 

 the use of almost every detail, both of the form and 

 colouring of this insect. The bright orange patch, 

 so beautiful when the insect is on the wing, was 

 hidden beneath the hind wings ; and there is thus a 

 very good reason for the circumstance that the 

 colour does not extend so far on the under as on 

 the upper surface of the wing, and also for the tip 

 of the upper wings being mottled with green be- 

 neath, like the whole surface of the hind wings ; for 



Fig. 195. Orange-tip Butterfly. 



as they are a little longer than the hind wings, the 

 whole form one'uniformly coloured surface when the 

 wings are closed (fig. 195). Various other species of 

 Anthocharis, as well as the pretty Zegris of Eastern 

 Europe and our rare Pieris daplidice, are coloured 

 in a similar manner on the under side, though with 

 varying degrees of brilliancy; and it is probable 

 that they are accustomed to l'epose on the flowers 

 of umbelliferous or cruciferous plants of suitable 

 colours. One of the handsomest species of Indian 

 Pieridse, the Iphias glaucippe, whose upper wings 

 are ornamented above with a large patch of vivid 



orange-red, is so tinted and mottled on the under 

 side as to resemble a dry leaf ; and a strong dark 

 line running through the centre of the wings repre- 

 sents the midrib. This species often rests on the 

 ground, on the banks of streams, or on beds of 

 gravel, and depresses the upper wings so much 

 between the lower ones as to form an outline very 

 similar to that of a leaf ; and this is no doubt a 

 great protection to it; for although so large and 

 showy an insect, it is very plentiful. 



By far the most singular and most perfect disguise 

 I have ever met with in a Lepidopterous insect is 

 that of a common Indian butterfly, Kallima inachis, 

 and its Malayan ally Kallima paralekta. I had the 

 satisfaction of observing the habits of the latter in 

 Sumatra, where it is rather plentiful at the end of 

 the dry season. It is a large and showy insect 

 when on the wing ; the upper surface being glossed 

 with blue and purple, and the fore wings crossed 

 obliquely by a broad band of rich orange. The 

 under surface of the wings is totally different, and 

 is seen at a glance to resemble a dead leaf. The 

 hind wings terminate in a little tail, which forms the 

 stalk of the leaf, and from this to the apex is a 

 slightly curved dark brown line representing the 

 midrib. The transverse striae which cross the 

 discoidal cell in many butterflies are here continued 

 so as to form lateral veins, and the usual sub- 

 marginal striae on the hind wings, slightly modified, 

 represent others towards the base of the wing. 

 But it is only when the habits of the insect are 

 observed that the disguise becomes manifested in all 

 its perfection (fig. 196). This butterfly, like many 

 others, has the habit of resting only upon a nearly 

 vertical twig or branch, with the wings closed to- 

 gether so as completely to conceal the upper surface. 

 In this position, the little tail of the hind wings 

 exactly touches the branch, and we now see why it is 

 always curved inwards a little ; for if it were quite 

 straight, it would hang clear of the branch, and thus 

 fail to represent an attached leaf. There is a little 

 scallop or hollow on the margin of the fore wings at 

 the base, which serves to conceal the head of the 

 butterfly, which is very small for its size, and the 

 long antennae are carried back and hidden between 

 the folded wings. When sitting on a twig in the 

 manner described, the insect is to all appearance a 

 perfect dry leaf, — yet it is evident that its chances 

 of escape would be much increased if it were 

 surrounded by real dry leaves instead of by green 

 ones ; for if, when pursued, it took shelter in a 

 growing bush, it could hardly fail to be still a 

 conspicuous object. Marvelous to relate, it does 

 possess the habit of almost invariably entering a bush 

 loaded with dead leaves, and is so instantly lost to 

 sight, owing to its close resemblance to all the sur- 

 rounding objects, that I doubt if the most vigilant 

 fly-catcher could detect it. I have myself often 

 been utterly puzzled. I have watched it settle, 



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