Protective Coloration in its relation to Mi'mirry, etc. 559 



and leaf-veined windows, bordered with imitation back- 

 ground, and ever ready to look like glossy leaves the 

 moment they are extended over a bright liower or other 

 bright object. 



Professor Poulton has already noticed the efficacy of 

 the imitation hole in the wing of Grapta (a device similar 

 in effect to the gold dots on some pupa^). 



During the writing of this article I have been learning 

 that iridescence itself is an immense factor of conceal- 

 ment, far greater than I at first realized. I have lately 

 had excellent opportunity to study several species of 

 golden-brown butterHies with sheeny black tips spotted 

 with white, and I begin to realize the wonderful power 

 of this combination. The white dots stand changeless, 

 while upon the black, in bright sunlight, faint rainbow 

 sequences dissolve the actnaUy Hat wing-surface into 

 liquid depths, apparently wholly detached both from the 

 insect and from the white spots, which appear, as I before 

 said, to be shiny points like dewdrops down in the spaces 

 below the buttertly. 



If butterHies were mimicking each other, Mr. Blandford's 

 objection (Proceedings of the Entomological Society, 1897) 

 that the resemblances would be hypertelic would seem 

 true. Since an attempt on Nature's part to give common 

 colours and patterns to a group of insects involves no need 

 that any one of them shall have sharp delicate contours 

 of spots, or have subtle gradations, these species would, 

 if their object were to resemble each other in their colour 

 and markings, stop short of such sharp contours, etc. 

 On the other hand, if they are representing flowers or any 

 organic forms instead of merely patterns, etc., on forms, 

 they would profit by the utmost minute finish of every 

 part of their design, since just this finish, this microscopic- 

 ally perfect smoothness and minuteness of detail is an 

 essential characteristic of flowers and even of leaves. 



Upon my hypothesis, the many "warning-colour" 

 species that have dull-contoured spots instead of sharp 

 ones, would seem (as they do to the supporters of Mimicry) 

 to be species in process of adaptation, but to the aspect of 

 fioiocrs, instead of to that of each other. 



As soon as the advocate of the Mimicry theories sees 

 that to wear the region's prevailing pattern tends to con- 

 ceal, his case looks bad ; since we see throughout the 

 animal kingdom common coloration, and often common 



