Mimicry in Birds 



recalls that of many eagles, while the white 

 patch at the base of the primary quills reproduces 

 the similar marking in buzzards. Yet these are 

 fierce predaceous creatures themselves, so that 

 the resemblance is pointless ; besides which, two 

 of the four known species live where they them- 

 selves are the only birds of prey. 



The remarkable plumage of the male American 

 red-winged troupials {Agel&its) is well copied 

 by the male of a shrike {Campephaga phcenicea), 

 which has the same black body-colour and scarlet 

 epaulettes, but, as it lives in Africa, cannot profit 

 by the resemblance. It is true that several 

 African weaver-finches show the same style 

 of coloration, but if the shrike (not one of the 

 more predatory forms) mimics these, what do the 

 American troupials mimic ? 



Many of this same troupial family {Icteridce) 

 bear a great resemblance to orioles, having the 

 black-and-yellow pied plumage which charac- 

 terises most of those birds ; indeed, they are 

 commonly called orioles in America. Orioles, 

 however, they are not, but close allies of the 

 starlings and weavers, and none of them occur 

 in the Old World, nor any orioles in America. 



One of the American finches, the red-eyed 

 bunting or towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) bears 

 a close resemblance to the Indian robin-like 

 bird known as the shama (Cittocincla macrtira), 



63 



