VI] "MIMICRY RINGS" 67 



aU over (PI. IV, fig. 6). In Argynnis hyperhius 

 the appearance is in general that of the Fritillary 

 group to which it belongs. But in the female the 

 outer portion of the fore wings exhibits much black 

 pigment and is crossed by a broad white band similar 

 to that found in the same position on the wing of 



D. plexippus (PI. IV, fig. 2). 



Of the five species constituting this little " mimicry 

 ring " in Ceylon two, on the current theory of mimicry, 

 are to be regarded as definitely unpalatable, one 

 {H. misippus) as doubtfully so, while the Satyrine 

 and the Fritillary are evidently examples of simple 

 or Batesian mimicry. 



Now such examples as this of simultaneous mimicry 

 in several species are of peculiar interest for us when 

 we come to inquire more closely into the process 

 by which the resemblances can be supposed to have 

 been brought about. Take for example the case of 



E. undularis. The male is evidently an unprotected 

 insect in so far as mimicry is concerned, while the 

 female exhibits the general pattern and coloration 

 characteristic of the warningly coloured and pre- 

 sumably distasteful species D. plexippus or D. chrysip- 

 pus. If we are to suppose this to have been brought 

 about by the operation of natural selection it is clear 

 that we must regard the colour and pattern of the 

 male as the original colour and pattern of both sexes. 

 For natural selection cannot be supposed to have 

 operated in causing the male to pass from a protected 

 to an unprotected condition, or even in causing him 



5—2 



