Mimicry, 
by (Drak AS Die IE RS (Oxford 
At the outset of my discourse I should wish to say that I feel 
highly honoured by the invitation to address so notable a body of 
scientific men as are gathered together in the First International 
Congress of Entomology under the guidance of our distinguished 
President; and to express the hope that this may be the beginning 
of a long series of Congresses, which in advancing the study of 
Entomology will confer benefits upon the race, and contribute 
towards the great object of international amity. 
The subject to which I propose to devote this lecture is that of 
Mimicry; a subject which has formed perhaps the largest part of my 
studies in Insect Bionomics. 
It may, I think, be assumed that all naturalists are acquainted 
with the main features of what is known as « Mimicry ». But it 
may be doubted whether all naturalists realise how numerous are 
the facts which can be ranged under this head, or how complicated 
are the phenomena with which a full consideration of the subject 
brings us into contact. 
We should, I venture to think, be false to all the best traditions 
of scientific method, if, with this great array of remarkable facts 
before us, we made no attempt to interpret them. Itis hardly necess- 
ary for me to point out that while in the region of fact we may 
reasonably hope to attain a great measure of certainty, our inter- 
pretations must be to a large extent provisional. It is truc that the 
day may come when we shall be able to speak positively, and 
with general agreement, as to the causes and full bionomic signifi- 
cance of these noteworthy resemblances; but the time is not yet, 
DE 
