The Making of Species 



by birds, although he observed on other occasions 

 some isolated cases. 



This appears to be the sum total of the 

 evidence adduced by Professor Poulton as 

 regards the capture of butterflies by birds. 

 This seems to us an altogether insufficient 

 foundation upon which to build the theory that 

 the cases of resemblance between unrelated 

 species have been effected by natural selection. 



It is, however, to be noted that probably 

 among birds the most dangerous enemies of 

 butterflies are not those that habitually catch 

 insect prey on the wing. Such are experts in 

 the art of fly-catching, and would despise the 

 comparatively meatless butterfly. One often 

 comes across butterflies with an identical notch 

 in each wing, which leaves little room for doubt 

 that those particular butterflies had been snapped 

 at, while resting^ by a bird. Among birds the 

 chief enemies of butterflies and moths are pro- 

 bably to be found in those that hunt for their 

 food in bushes and trees. 



Thus, what we do know of the nature of the 

 struggle for existence offers but poor support to 

 the Neo-Darwinian explanations of the cases of 

 so-called mimicry in nature. 



Professor Poulton's idea of pitting the argu- 

 ment of hypertely against that of the alleged 

 supreme sharp-sightedness of birds is ingenious, 

 but is not likely to satisfy very many people save 



240 



