46 CURIOSITIES OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



them in all parts of the world, not only by the natives, but 

 by the smaller birds of the several countries. 



As it may be thought that these imitations are rather 

 general and accidental, than particular and designed, we will 

 quote a close and very remarkable example of imitation, 

 described by Mr. Wallace, in the Transactions of the Zoo- 

 logical Society, who, when speaking of the birds newly dis- 

 covered by him in the Mollucca Islands, observes, " that two 

 species of the Oriolidse, natives of Bouru and Ceram, de- 

 parted altogether from the natural appearance of the group, 

 and mimicked two species of Honeysuckers so closely as to 

 deceive ordinary observers." Speaking of the birds inhabiting 

 Bouru, he writes : " The oriole has departed from the usual 

 gay colouring of its allies, and is actually the dullest coloured 

 of its family, while the honeysucker that it imitates very 

 much resembles in its colouration other species of the group 

 to which it belongs. The imitation is carried to the minutest 

 particulars ; the black orbits of the honeysucker are copied by 

 a patch of dusky feathers around the eyes of the oriole, and 

 even the very peculiar ruff of recurved feathers on the nape 

 of the former, has its general effect imitated by a collar of 

 pale colour in the latter. The under and upper surfaces of 

 the two birds are as near as possible of the same tint respec- 

 tively, and, stranger still, the oriole has closely copied the 

 mode of flight and voice of its model, so that in a state of 

 nature the two birds are practically undistinguishable. This 

 curious instance does not stand alone, for in the adjacent island 

 of Ceram, two allied but very distinct species resemble each 

 other with equal accuracy." 



With regard to the object of this imitation, Mr. Wallace 

 observes : " In the case of insects it seems probable that it is 

 the odour or the taste of the imitated species which is un- 

 palatable to insect-eating birds ; or, in other cases, like the 

 clear-winged moths, which mimic Hymenoptera, the species 

 mimicked are armed with a sting. In birds, it is evident that 

 the bravest, strongest, and best-armed groups should be the 

 subjects of mimicry, and the weakest and most defenceless 

 those which should obtain some advantage by imitating them. 



