ANIMAL, COUNTERFEITS. 247 



real mission of the dragonfly in life is to feed snakes and sew up the eyes, 

 ears or mouths of small boys? Catch a dragonfly or a cranefly or any 

 other insect with a long abdomen and how does he act? It turns the 

 abdomen around wasp like and pretends it will sting. The boy believes 

 the dragonfly will sting. Later in life he learns that the insect is per- 

 fectly harmless. 



Among caterpillars there are many amusing instances of larvae being 

 provided with means of putting on a horrid face or swelling up in such a 

 way as to strike terror to the heart of all but those who know his ways. 

 Snakes coil as if to strike, dart out their little forked tongues and look 

 very vicious. Butterflies have big eyes on their wings giving them the 

 appearance of larger and more ferocious animals. There are thousand 

 of instances in which the animal, while perfectly harmless, deceives the 

 uninitiated into believing him a very ferocious beast. 



I sometimes think of the swagger and bluff of the biped coward who 

 assumes the role of "a bad man." He may be pretending to be just spoil- 

 ing for a fight. The fact is wild animals put up what we call a bluff. 

 Some will fight a wicked battle when opportunity offers, but in general 

 they want to be let alone. The rattlesnake sounds his warning. His 

 rattle serves to protect him by frightening away more enemies than he 

 fights. The armed bees carry warning colors and wish to be let alone. 

 The mosquito seems an exception to this rule, but only the female, seek- 

 ing nourishment for her brood that is to be, bothers man. Another series 

 of counterfeiters that I must expose are those who by some display simu- 

 late the food of animals and the victim discovers his mistake just in time 

 to be himself eaten. The kinglets and fly-catchers among birds as well 

 as certain fish display traps of this kind. The term alluring coloration 

 is appropriately applied to this class. 



The fish bury themselves in the mud and by moving certain append- 

 ages lure smaller fish to believe that there are edible worms to be had in 

 that vicinity. Upon attempting to obtain them they are themselves eaten. 



The crowned kinglets and the tyrant fly-catcher spread a crest of 

 orange or ruby feathers in a way that attracts flying insects to the sup- 

 posed flowers. I have observed the ruby crowned kinglet engaged in 

 attracting insects by this device. It seems to work well in early spring 

 when both flowers and insects are scarce. 



I have purposely reserved to the last an illustration in protective 

 coloration that excells them all in the wonderful detail with which it is 

 worked out. 



Sir Alfred Russell Wallace, the naturalist who shares with Darwin 

 the honor of discovering the theory of natural selection, on a visit to 

 Borneo was told of two strange butterflies. One grew on trees and could 

 be occasionally found apparently attached to the limb- The other was a 

 brilliant blue and orange insect that totally disappeared when it flew into 

 the shade of a tree. As you have already discerned, Wallace soon found 

 them to be the same form and he gave to the world the example of the 

 Kalima butterfly. 



Words can not adequately describe this marvel which must be seen 

 in its natural size and color to be appreciated. The wings fold in such 



