44 THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. [CHAP, 



to a common Indian butterfly. He says : ia " But the most 

 wonderful and undoubted case of protective resemblance in 

 a butterfly, which I have ever seen, is that of the common 

 Indian Kallima inachis, and its Malayan ally, Kallima 

 paralekta. The upper surface of these is very striking and 

 showy, as they are of a large size, and are adorned with a 

 broad band of rich orange on a deep-bluish ground. The 

 under side is very variable in color, so that out of fifty 

 specimens no two can be found exactly alike, but every one 

 of them will be of some shade of ash, or brown, or ochre, 

 such as are found among dead, dry, or decaying leaves. 

 The apex of the upper wings is produced into an acute 

 point, a very common form in the leaves of tropical shrubs 

 and trees, and the lower wings are also produced into a 

 short, narrow tail. Between these two points runs a dark 

 curved line exactly representing the midrib of a leaf, and 

 from this radiate on each side a few oblique lines, which 

 serve to indicate the lateral veins of a leaf. These marks 

 are more clearly seen on the outer portion of the base of 

 the wings, and on the inner side toward the middle and 

 apex, and it is very curious to observe how the usual mar- 

 ginal and transverse striae of the group are here modified 

 and strengthened so as to become adapted for an imitation 

 of the venation of a leaf." ..." But this resemblance, 

 close as it is, would be of little use if the habits of the in- 

 sect did not accord with it. If the butterfly sat upon leaves 

 or upon flowers, or opened its wings so as to expose the 

 upper surface, or exposed and moved its head and antennas 

 as many other butterflies do, its disguise would be of little 

 avail. We might be sure, however, from the analogy of 

 many other cases, that the habits of the insect are such 

 as still further to aid its deceptive garb ; but we are not 

 obliged to make any such supposition, since I myself had 

 the good fortune to observe scores of Kallima, paralekta^ 

 13 Loc. cit., p. 59. 



