Protective Coloration in its relation to Mimicry, ete. 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 flower or other 
bright object. 
Professor Poulton has already noticed the efficacy of 
the imitation hole in the wing of Gvapta (a device similar 
in effect to the gold dots on some pupe). 
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 butterflies 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 actually flat 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 butterflies 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, ete. 
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 
Jlowers, 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 coi- 
ceal, his case looks bad; since we see throughout the 
animal kingdom common coloration, and often common 
2) 
