False Batesian Mimicry 



In Africa there is a tit (Parus leucopterus) 

 which has the same very unusual colouration as 

 an East- Indian bulbul (Micropus melanoleucus), 

 both being black with a white patch on the wing- 

 coverts. These two birds are about the same 

 size. As showing the purely coincidental char- 

 acter of such resemblances, we may mention that 

 this same rare pattern occurs again in our Black 

 Guillemot (Uriagrylle) and in the Muscovy Duck 

 (Cairina moschata). 



We have already quoted Gadow (p. 198) on 

 " false mimicry " among snakes. He also gives, 

 on p. 1 10 of Through Southern Mexico, an example 

 of this phenomenon among amphibia. It is, he 

 writes, " impossible to distinguish certain green 

 tree-frogs of the African genus Rappia from a 

 Hyla, unless we cut them open. If they lived 

 side by side, which they do not, this close resem- 

 blance would be extolled as an example of 

 mimicry." 



We should be very greatly surprised if abun- 

 dant examples of "false mimicry" are not found 

 among insects. We trust that this remark will 

 stimulate some entomologist to pay attention to 

 the subject. 



It is the essence of Mullerian mimicry that 

 both model and copy are immune from attack 

 from enemies. Unfortunately for the theory, 

 similar resemblances occur among birds of prey, 



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