[Pioin the Proceedings of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, Vol. xlvi, 1897.1 



Mimicry in butterflies of the genus Hypolimnas and its bearing on 



OLDER and more RECENT THEORIES OF MIMICRY. By PfOf. EdWARD 



B. PouLTON, M.A.,F.R.S., University of Oxford, England. 



The theory of mimicry suggested by H. W. Bates in 1862 explained 

 the superficial resemblance of a rare to a common species in the same 

 locality by supposing that the latter possessed some special means of de- 

 fence (such as unpleasant taste, smell, etc.), and that the former, without 

 the special defence, was mistaken by enemies for the latter, and thus es- 

 caped a considerable amount of persecution. The relation may be com- 

 pared to that existing between a successful well-known firm and another 

 small unscrupulous one which lives upon its reputation. On the other 

 hand. Bates thoroughly recognized the existence of resemblance between 

 the specially defended forms themselves. These he could not explain by 

 his theory of mimicry, and suggested that they were a result of the in- 

 fluence of locality. Many years later Fritz Mijller satisfactorily explained 

 this difficulty by suggesting that a common type of appearance simplified 

 the education of enemies and thus was the means of saving life. The 

 lives of many individuals must be sacrificed before enemies have learned 

 to recognize and to avoid the colors and patterns which indicate some 

 special means of defence, and the fewer such patterns in any locality the 

 smaller the sacrifice. The relation may he compared to that between two 

 successful firms which combine to use a common advertisement. 



This latter theory, although received rather coldly at first, has gradu- 

 ally made way, and seems now likely to occupy a good deal of the ground 

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