3i8 THE PLACE OF MIMICRY 



to other birds. Xothiiii'' can l)c further from the truth 

 than Haase's contention that tlie species with Warning 

 or Aposematic Colours are absohitely * imnunie ' from 

 the attacks of all enemies, including parasites.^ There 

 is indeed much evidence to show that such species are 

 especially liable to destruction by these latter foes.- 

 Many groui)s of predaceous insects also appear especially 

 to attack the conspicuous, easil\-captured prey provided 

 by the groups with Warning Cc^lours. 1 his has been 

 observed in the case of the predaceous Asilid Hies, Dragon- 

 flies, Ilemiptera, J/a /i/ it/a e and Locusticiac:'^ 



4. Transition from Cryptic to Aposematic Defence — 

 Although these two methods of protection are as a rule 

 sharply contrasted, intermediate examples are common, 

 and even more numerous are the cases in which an 

 individual in the course of its life-history or b)- an 

 instantaneous change of attitude passes from the one 

 category into the other. 



The larvae of Ciicullia verbasci (the Mullein Shark 

 Moth) are good intermediate examples. Their colour- 

 ing harmonizes well with the flowering spike of the 

 Mullein, and when disturbed their instant fall and active 

 wriggling movements, tending to concealment among 

 lumps of earth, roots of grasses, &c., belong to the cate- 

 gory of Cryptic defence. On the other hand, they are 

 rendered conspicuous b)- gregarious habits, while the large 

 larvae are very visil)le upon the broad leaves of the food- 

 plant. Furthermore, experiment shows the existence of 

 distasteful qualities.^ There is also a considerable element 

 of concealment in the resemblance of the orange bands 

 of the larva of EucJielia jacohacae (the Cinnabar Moth) to 

 the flowers of its food-plant. I was formerly disposed 

 to regard these two species as exam[)les of recent transi- 

 tion from a Cr)ptic to an Aposematic mode of defence.'' 

 I should now be more inclined to explain the Cr)ptic 



* Researches on Mimicry, part ii, Stuttgart, 1896, English translation. 

 ' Trans. Ent Soc.^ Lorid., 1902, p. 337. 



' Trans. Ent. Soc, Lnnd., 1906, p. 323. 



* Proc. Zoot. Soc, Lond., 1887, pp. 202, 203, 238. 

 ' Proc. Zoot. Soc, Lond., 1887, p. 238. 



