564 Mr. A. H. Thayer on 



Butterflies very often remain unobserved amidst flowers 

 or other vegetation, by any one approaching (especially 

 if he be not keenly in search of them) until once flushed. 

 Of course our yellow and our white FierincV are pretty 

 sure to catch the eye of the person approaching, if, as 

 very commonly, they are found amidst dark vegetation. 

 Yet their colours are precisely those of our most abundant 

 flowers, just as they are our most abundant butterflies. 

 This fact harmonizes with my argument that, however 

 conspicuous in many situations, few animals are so in the 

 place or region to which they doubtless owe their abund- 

 ance. We see largely the overflow individuals from a 

 concealing region ijito a less favouring one, and erroneously 

 think of the species as typical of the region where it is 

 visible to us. The gentle waving of the wings, so common 

 among butterflies when they are feeding, seems plainly a 

 protective imitation of the swaying of leaves and flowers 

 in the breeze. Any one who has photographed outdoor 

 vegetation knows how seldom it stands still. 



To sum up, the general aspect of each animal's environ- 

 ment, throughout the animal kingdom, is found painted 

 upon his coat, in such a way as to minimize his visibility, 

 by making the beholder think he sees through him. How 

 has it chanced that, while this fact has long been recog- 

 nized, in a crude way, in many fields of zoology, it has 

 remained essentially unnoticed in butterflies ? Their 

 most critical moments being passed upon flowers, the 

 aspect of flowers combined in various proportions with 

 the dark vistas down among them to the shadowy earth 

 beneath, is exquisitely painted upon a vast majority of 

 the world's butterflies, and on none more plainly than 

 on those called conspicuous. The Picrinc'G are mainly 

 representations of flowers, though surrounded by a dark 

 border which appears to belong to the shadows beneath 

 it. On the other hand, there are a vast number of dark 

 species which represent a portion of this shadow-under- 

 vegetation, with bits of yellow vegetation, or of flowers, 

 seen against it (these of course being rendered by the 

 light markings). Could small, bright patterns on dark 

 possibly be more perfect generalizations of small blossoms, 

 buds, and stems ? 



I cite the following examples of the various colorations 

 described. 



Among the Bras&olinie, Caligo, eurylochus is a marvel of 



