( XXX ) 



elusive eases, is, after all, a mere childish notion. Patient 

 observation, continuously face to face with facts, will have 

 none of it and leaves it to the arm-chair naturalists, who are 

 too prone to look at the animal world through the illusive 

 mists of theory." 



I do not myself consider in the present state of our knowledge 

 that it is wise to bring forward " crucial tests." 



There are too many factors involved, the influence of which 

 is very obscure and which make any " test " extremely risky. 

 We are quite unable to say in any one instance how much is 

 due to natural selection, Mendelism, climate, environment 

 and the like, and until further investigation and experiment 

 is undertaken it is advisable only to put on record the facts 

 and the conclusions which may be legitimately deduced from 

 them. The whole subject of mimicry, occupying as it has 

 done some of the best intellects, entomological and other, 

 since the time of Darwin, cannot be accepted or dismissed in 

 consequence of one or even a few crucial tests, it is far too 

 complicated a subject for such summary treatment, and if I 

 have written at all strongly it is with a view to impressing 

 upon the more ardent supporters of mimicry the urgent 

 necessity of examining their subject from all points of view, 

 and not from that standpoint which is particularly attractive 

 to them. 



Prof. PouLTON said that he wished to protest mildly against 

 Col. Manders' unqualified statement that the theories of 

 mimicry were " constantly brought to notice." They had 

 only been brought before the Society when there were new 

 facts to record. Nor could he accept the implication con- 

 veyed in Col. Manders' reference to the "" many rebuffs . . . 

 lately received." That more work was wanted he freely 

 admitted and had admitted for many years, but it would 

 not be doing justice to English naturalists in Africa if their 

 successful efforts to throw light on the question were passed 

 over as of little account. The whole subject had been im- 

 mensely advanced by the researches of the j^ast twenty years. 



Col. Manders had rather seemed to single out MuUerian 

 Mimicry, as though his contentions were specially directed at 



