A STUDY OF MIMICRY 3 



protective resemblance, in which the animals imi- 

 tate, not the objects on or near which they live, 

 nor such other creatures as are in themselves 

 frightful or predaceous, but butterflies quite like 

 themselves, to all external appearance as harmless 

 and as much in need of protection as the3\ He 

 pointed out, moreover, that there is a special group 

 of butterflies (Heliconinae), of vivid coloring and 

 slow and easy flight, which are the constant sub- 

 jects of mimicry, while the greater portion of the 

 mimicking butterflies he observed belonged to a 

 very different group (Pierinae), normally white 

 and tolerably uniform in color, but which had so 

 changed their livery and even the form of their 

 wings as closely to resemble the objects they mim- 

 icked in brilliancy of color and variegation, and 

 even in mode of flight. Some, says he, " show a 

 minute and palpably intentional likeness which is 

 perfectly staggering." Indeed, the likeness proved 

 so close that even after he became aware of the 

 mimicry his practiced eye was often deceived. Or' 

 if he wandered to a new locality, where occurred a 

 new set of Ithomyiae (the most numerously repre- 

 sented among the mimicked genera), the Lepta- 

 lides (the mimickers) would vary with them so as 

 to preserve the mockery band for band and spot 



