Chap. XIV.] ANALOGICAL EESEMBLANCES. 225 



never heard of an instance of such kinds mocking other 

 insects, though they are mocked ; insects cannot easily- 

 escape by flight from the larger animals which prey 

 on them; therefore, speaking metaphorically, they are 

 reduced, like most weak creatures, to trickery and 

 dissimulation. 



It should be observed that the process of imitation 

 probably never commenced between forms widely dis- 

 similar in colour. But starting with species already 

 somewhat like each other, the closest resemblance, if 

 beneficial, could readily be gained by the above means ; 

 and if the imitated form was subsequently and gradu- 

 ally modified through any agency, the imitating form 

 would be led along the same track, and thus be altered 

 to almost any extent, so that it might ultimately 

 assume an appearance or colouring wholly unlike that 

 of the other members of the family to which it belonged. 

 There is, however, some difficulty on this head, for it 

 is necessary to suppose in some cases that ancient 

 members belonging to several distinct groups, before 

 they had diverged to their present extent, accidentally 

 resembled a member of another and protected group in 

 a sufficient degree to afford some slight protection ; this 

 having given the basis for the subsequent acquisition of 

 the most perfect resemblance. 



On the Nature of the Abilities connecting Organic 

 Beings. — As the modified descendants of dominant 

 species, belonging to the larger genera, tend to inherit 

 the advantages which made the groups to which they 

 belong large and their parents dominant, they are 

 almost sure to spread widely, and to seize on more and 

 more places in the economy of nature. The larger and 

 more dominant groups within each class thus tend to 



