@ sexixe 8) 
better defended neighbours, as in mimicry proper. Protective 
Mimicry had been defined by the speaker as ‘‘ False Warning 
or Deceptive Warning Colours” (pseudaposematic), while, 
according to Dr. Dixey’s contention, there was nothing false 
about the warning colours of the insects described.* 
It was contended that the peculiar local groups, such as 
those of Ega and the Rio Napo do not offer any difficulty 
to the theory. The ordinary laws of variation continued to 
operate after the formation of a group, only in this case the 
change which so often occurs in a species with a wide geogra- 
phical range, ultimately splitting it up into subspecies and 
true species, would draw the associated forms after it by the 
operation of the very principles by which the group was 
originally formed. If this process were sufficiently gradual 
no principle of Millerian association need be violated. Or 
the facts might be reasonably explained in another way: the 
dominant (a word which here implies only the commonest 
and best known, in fact, the most widely advertised 
of the specially defended Lepidoptera of the district) 
form might have inhabited the region in question, and 
assumed its peculiar aspect before the formation of the 
* Tt has since occurred to me that terms accurately descriptive 
for those who accept the theories of Mimicry and Warning Colours 
may be obtained by an extension of the terminology proposed by 
me in 1890 (“The Colours of Animals,” pp. 336 et seqq.). In the 
majority of cases there is reason for the belief that Miillerian 
groups have been formed by a gradual approximation towards the 
appearance of some aggressive and abundant species, or towards 
that of the most prominent general characteristics of several such 
species belonging to a specially defended section of Lepidoptera, 
such as the Euploeine or Acreine. Miillerian groups of this kind— 
probably by far the commonest—may be said to possess Synaposematic 
(obv, together ; ard, away : ofjya, Sign) colours, pattern, or appear- 
ance, the noun being Synaposeme. They may also be said to possess 
Miillerian Warning Colours or Common Warning Colours. For 
those extremely interesting but, as I believe, relatively uncommon 
cases, in which the approach is mutual—a process of ‘give and 
take,” so well described by Dr. Dixey—the term Diaposematic 
(ad, used to express mutual relation, as in “ dialogue,” amd, and ofa) 
may be employed, the noun being Diaposeme. These cases may 
also be spoken of as Reciprocal Warning Colours. Mr. Arthur 
Sidgwick has kindly helped in the formation of these new terms. 
—E. B. Poulton, June 14th, 1897. 
PROC. ENT. SOC LOND., u., 1897. C 
