MASKS OF COLOUR AND FORM 



though attracted to the main idea. Thus I can 

 hardly believe that the dark fawn under dress of the 

 small copper, with its few obscure specks, has been 

 acquired that the wearer may in rest assimilate 

 to the surroundings. The spotted under sides of 

 the common blue seem an equally improbable 

 illustration. 



In the first place, it is exceedingly doubtful 

 whether protection by colour or pattern harmony 

 with environment is really needed in these cases ; 

 and in the second, if needed, such harmony is not 

 close or true enough to serve. I have often seen 

 insects at rest on grass heads and foliage, with- 

 out special search even cabbage-white butterflies, 

 orange-tips, and others several times as late as 

 nine o'clock on a July evening. True, they have 

 not been in glaring contrast with their environment, 

 but they have not " mimicked " it well. If they had 

 dangerous and persistent enemies hunting for them 

 on their perches at bedtime, they could hardly escape 

 through such clumsy counterfeit. The wild creature 

 of prey is not likely often to be cheated by any 

 " very-like-a-whale " resemblance. Mimicry, to be 

 effectual, must surely be close to deceive the bird, 

 beast, insect, or reptile of prey which Nature has 

 equipped for the hunt, giving it powers of eye, ear, 

 and nose exquisitely adapted to the pursuit. If the 

 dull vision of man can easily detect the creature 

 supposed to assimilate with environment, how much 

 more the highly-trained, argus eye of the wild animal 

 of prey ? One of the few cases that does not point 

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