43 



GENERAL BIOLOGY 



men ting. The combinations are (aside from black alone, 

 which is conspicuous enough against green foliage or against 

 the sky) black and yellow, black and white, black and green, 

 and black and red or orange, and the patterns are broad 

 cross bands of alternating colors, or extensive blotches. 



Eyespots are the most specialized of warning colors. 

 They are eye pictures (fig. 253), more or less realistically 

 drawn by nature upon some part of the body (usually remote 

 from the true eyes) of their possessor, and where well 

 exposed to the view of an enemy. They are always large 

 enough to belong to some creature many times the size of 

 the one exhibiting them. They thoroughly frighten ignor- 

 ant people, and it is highly probable that they frighten 

 such animals as occasionally come 

 upon them in the open. Their effi- 

 ciency must depend in part on their 

 rather infrequent occurrence, for 

 familiarity would abrogate alarm. 



Mimicry. So well established are the 

 general types of coloration accompany- 

 ing disagreeable qualities, that some 

 animals, which lack special defense 

 have taken them on. The robber fly 

 shown in figure 2540, so closely resem- 

 bles the bumble bee, (figure 2546), with 

 which it is associated in nature that an 

 experienced collector may with diffi- 

 culty distinguish between the two spe- 

 cies while in flight. The fly possesses no 

 sting or other special defense ; it doubt- 

 less secures considerable immunity 

 from molestation by reason of its likeness to the well-armed 

 bumble bee. Most of our commoner mimickers, have taken 

 on more or less of the coloration, form and attitudes of the 



FIG. 253. The owl beetle 

 (Alaus oculatus). 



