MIMICRY OF SEEDS AND FRUITS. 273 



seeds of whicli greatly resemble beetles of the tribe Calligraphidas , 

 I will here write m}^ notes respecting them. 



M. hemitrichandra, Miill. Arg. Gromid colom- pale olive-green. 

 Raphal line strongly marked, and on each side of it are a very few 

 pale brown or reddish streaks extending with more or less inter- 

 ruption to the edge of the seed. Carunculus very prominent. 



M. palmata, Miill. Arg. Ground colom* straw-yellow. Raphal 

 line not ver}^ prominent ; on each side of it three or four dark 

 brown strias. Carunculus well lobed. 



yi. triphi/Ua, Pohl. Ground colour pale olive-green, dappled 

 with rather large reddish brown spots. Raphal line scarcely 

 distinguishable. Carunculus large, extending outwards on each 

 side farther than usual. 



M. cecropurfulia, Hb. Kew (Burchell, 7015.) Ground colour 

 pale grey, very scantily darker-striped. Raphal line and carunculus 

 both very prominent. 



M. CHaziovii, Miill. Arg. Seed large and carunculus relatively 

 small. Ground colour black with pale brown mottling. Raphal 

 line broad, black. 



M. sp. (Burchell, 8850.) Ground colour pale brown with occa- 

 sional darker short stipes and frequent very fine darker mottling. 

 Carunculus but slightly prominent. 



M. anomala, Hb. Kew (Burchell, 8094.) Groundcolour pale 

 brown, striation of darker brown lines with obscure mottlmg. 

 Carunculus prominent. 



M. sp. (Balansa, 1713.) Seeds broad with sharp edges. Ground 

 colour pale brown, with darker striations and mottling. Raphal 

 line concave. Carunculus not very prominent, surmounted by 

 the apex of the seed. 



M. angustiloba, Miill. Arg. Seeds broad with sharp edges. 

 Ground colour brown, with broad rather obscure black lines and 

 faint mottling. 



M. sp. (Spruce, 3604.) Ground colour brownish grey, diversified 

 with irregular lines of darker hue and mottling. Raphal line con- 

 cave. Carunculus very small, but prominent. 



But it will be asked, may it not be rather that the insects mimic 

 the seeds instead of the seeds the insects ? and if the latter be the 

 case, how can the resemblance benefit the seeds ? Geological 

 evidence nullifiesthe su^Dposition, although, owing to the enormously 

 greater amount of differentiating force possessed by the animal as 

 compared with the vegetable organism, — force depending primarily 

 on the continuity of its protoplasm, — it is a priori far more likely 

 that the animal would mimic the plant. But we should be careful 

 not to carry this too far, because in the case of seeds, only a 

 slight modification being involved, a compaiatively small amount 

 of force is required to produce it, besides which the appendage is, 

 as will be shown below, in most, if not in all cases, subservient also 

 to some other function, or to other functions. There can be no 

 doubt that the seminal appendage, often highly coloured to attract 

 the attention of seminivorous creatures, is their reward for work 

 performed in diffusion of the seed. But nobody will say that this 



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