XIV 



before we can also sufficiently judge about the appearance on those green 

 heads of dark spots or lines or sometimes even of white and red streaks- 

 doubtless also relics — as in the larva of Parnara Matthias F. 



Undeniably, and hence very characteristically, connected with the fact of 

 colour-evolution of larvae, are the curious cases of convergence respecting 

 their colour, which occur in some species and one of which I also observed 

 amongst those of the Javanese Hesperidae. My observations, it is true, have 

 not been quite sufficient, because in order to study such cases well, one ought 

 to breed, side by side, from their earliest days, many specimens of the two 

 resembling species, but I have never had an opportunity for this. Much more 

 completely have I been able to do this with the larvae and pupae of butter- 

 flies belonging to other families, especially with those of Atella Egista Cram, 

 and Messaras Erymanthis Dbd. and with the larvae of the Heterocera 

 Hypaetra Renosa Hb. and Athyrma Saalmulleri Mab. of whose mer- 

 vellous mutual likeness I hope to treat in its proper place, illustrating it also 

 with some figures ; instances of equality in development which surely have 

 nothing to do with mimicry, yet surpass many of those mimicry cases, about 

 which so much fuss is made. With respect to the Java Hesperidae I have 

 been able to notice the same in the larvae of Bibasis Sena Moore and Ismene 

 Oedipodea Swains., which I have always confounded owing to their striking 

 resemblance. Although my observations concerning these larvae are, as I said 

 above, still incomplete, and although my figures not being quite exact and, 

 moreover, representing larvae of unequal development, do not show the likeness 

 well enough, yet I can, in view of the above-named cases which are better 

 known to me, find occasion in them to discuss here the nature and also the 

 cause of this phenomenon. Advocates of the mimicry theory must look upon 

 this as an incomprehensible case. For there is nothing to show that this equa- 

 lity brings with it any protection or some other advantage for either of the 

 species; it is true, that true fanatics in this domain are accustomed to make 

 shift with the hypothesis that there is doubtless such a protection or advantage, 

 though unknown to us; but such-like assertions pure science cannot entertain. 



It would be much better to try and derive the nature of these facts from 

 the circumstances under which they appear, and then we should recognize 

 here certain phenomena of convergency, such as. In my opinion, have certainly 

 not yet been pointed out elsewhere. It is a fact that many larvae, though 

 systematically not closely allied, yet bear a general resemblance to each other, 

 which Is especially the case with the naked, green larvae of many Heterocera; 

 the cause of this undoubtedly is, that with such species the form of the body. 



