104 



THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. 



[CHAP. 



of orioles, which birds mimic, more or less, four species of a 

 genus of honey-suckers, the weak orioles finding their profit 

 in being mistaken by certain birds of prey for the strong, 

 active, and gregarious honey-suckers. Now, many other 

 birds would be benefited by similar mimicry, which is none 

 the less confined, in this part of the world, to the oriole 

 genus. It is true that the absence of mimicry in other 

 forms may be explained by their possessing some other (as 



THE SIX-SHAFTED BIED OF PARADISE. 



yet unobserved) means of preservation. But it is neverthe- 

 less remarkable, not so much that one species should mimic, 

 as that no less than four should do so in different ways and 

 degrees, all these four belonging to one and the same genus. 

 In other cases, however, there is not even the help of 

 protective action to account for the phenomenon. Thus we 

 have the wonderful birds of Paradise, 24 which agree in de- 



24 See " Malay Archipelago," vol. ii., chap, xxxviii. 



