PKOTECTIVE MIMICRY 243 



other insect-eating animal with which! am acquainted, 

 and it appears therefore to be certain that the Gold 

 Tail Moth is palatable. I have also confirmatory 

 evidence as to both these species, from the behaviour 

 of other animals. The great abundance of the Gold 

 Tail, in spite of its agreeable taste, must be in part 

 explained by the fact that the caterpillar is specially 

 protected in different ways (see pp. 171-72), but it must 

 also follow from the fact that white and conspicuous 

 moths are generally unpalatable. The strong super- 

 ficial resemblance between the two moths is shown in 

 fig. 50. 



Mimicry may be a source of danger to the mimicked 

 species 



While the experiment with the marmoset illustrates 

 the benefits conferred on the mimicker by the well- 

 deserved reputation of the form it imitates, an experi- 

 ment made by Professor Weismann proves that the 

 safety of both may be endangered when the mimicker 

 becomes relatively abundant. Professor Weismann 

 found that the black and yellow caterpillars of the 

 Cinnabar Moth (Euchelia jacobcece) were refused by 

 the Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis) ; he then introduced 

 some young caterpillars of the Fox Moth (Lasiocampa, 

 rubi), which are very similar in appearance. The 

 lizards first cautiously examined these larvae, and then 



