in PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCES AMONG ANIMALS 73 



Oxyrhopus formosus, both being found in many localities of 

 tropical South America. 



What adds much to the extraordinary character of these 

 resemblances is the fact, that nowhere in the world but in 

 America are there any snakes which have this style of 

 colouring. Dr. Gunther, of the British Museum, who has 

 kindly furnished some of the details here referred to, assures 

 me that this is the case ; and that red, black, and yellow rings 

 occur together on no other snakes in the world but on Elaps 

 and the species which so closely resemble it. In all these 

 cases, the size and form as well as the coloration are so 

 much alike, that none but a naturalist would distinguish the 

 harmless from the poisonous species. 



Many of the small tree-frogs are no doubt also mimickers. 

 When seen in their natural attitudes, I have been often unable 

 to distinguish them from beetles or other insects sitting upon 

 leaves, but regret to say I neglected to observe what species 

 or groups they most resembled, and the subject does not yet 

 seem to have attracted the attention of naturalists abroad. 



Mimicry among Birds 



In the class of birds there are a number of cases that make 

 some approach to mimicry, such as the resemblance of the 

 cuckoos, a weak and defenceless group of birds, to hawks and 

 Gallinacese. There is, however, one example which goes much 

 further than this, and seems to be of exactly the same nature 

 as the many cases of insect mimicry which have been already 

 given. In Australia and the Moluccas there is a genus of 

 honeysuckers called Tropidorhynchus, good sized birds, very 

 strong and active, having powerful grasping claws and long, 

 curved, sharp beaks. They assemble together in groups and 

 small flocks, and they have a very loud bawling note, which 

 can be heard at a great distance, and serves to collect a 

 number together in time of danger. They are very plentiful 

 and very pugnacious, frequently driving away crows, and 

 even hawks, which perch on a tree where a few of them are 

 assembled. They are all of rather dull and obscure colours. 

 Now in the same countries there is a group of orioles, forming 

 the sub-genus Mimeta, much weaker birds, which have lost 

 the gay colouring of their allies, the golden orioles, being 



