104 . REPORT— 1876. 



N vmphalidae * all diiFer from their allies on the continent in being of excessively 

 pale colours as well as of somewhat larger size. 



In Madagascar we have the very large and singularly white-spotted Papilio cm- 

 tenor, while species of three other genera f are very white or conspicuous compared 

 with their continental allies. 



Passing to the West-Indian Islands and Central America (which latter country 

 has formed a group of islands in very recent times) we have similar indications. 

 One of the largest of the Papilios inhabits Jamaica J, while another, the largest of 

 its group, is found in Me.xico §. Cuba has two of tlie same genus whose colours 

 are of surpassing brilliancy || ; while the fine genus Clothilda — confined to the 

 Antilles and Central America — is remarkable for its rich and showy colouring. 



Persons who are not acquainted with the important structural difterences that 

 distinguish these various genera of butterflies can hardly realize the importance 

 and the significance of such facts as I have now detailed. It ma}' be well, there- 

 fore, to illustrate them by supposing parallel cases to occur among the Mammalia. 

 We might have, for example, in Africa, the gnus, the elands, and the buffaloes, 

 all coloured and marked like zebras, stripe for stripe over the whole body exactly 

 corresponding. So the hares, marmots, and squirrels of Europe might be all red 

 with black feet, while the corresponding species of Central Asia were all yellow 

 with black lieads. In North America we might have raccoons, squirrels, and 

 opossums in parti-coloured livery of wliite and black, so as exactly to resemble the 

 skunk of the same country ; while in South America they might be black with a 

 yellow throat-patch, so as to resemble with equal closeness the tayra of the Brazilian 

 forests. Were such resemblances to occur in any thing like the number and with 

 the wonderful accuracy of imitation met with among the].,epidoptera, they would 

 certainly attract imiversal attention among naturalists, and would lead to the 

 exhaustive study of the influence of local causes in producing such startliug results. 



One somewhat similar case does indeed occur among the Mammalia, two singular 

 African animals, the Aard-wolf (Froteles) and the ]iya3ua-dog (Lj/caon), both 

 strikingly resembling hyaenas in their general form as well as in their spotted 

 markings. Belonging as they all do to the Carnivora, though to three distinct 

 families, it seems quite an analogous case to those we have imagined ; but as the 

 Aard-wolf and the hytena-dog are both weak animals compared with the hyama, 

 the resemblance may be useful, and in that case would come under llie head of 

 mimicry. This seems the more probable because, as a rule, the colours of the 

 Manmialia are protective, and are too little varied to allow of the influence of local 

 causes producing any well-marked effects. 



When we come to birds, however, the case is diflerent ; f n- although tJiey do 

 not exhibit such distinct marks of the influence of locality as do butterflies— pro- 

 bably because the causes which determine colour are in their case more complex — 

 yet there are distinct indications of some effect of the kind, and we must devote 

 some little time to their consideration. 



One of the most curious cases is that of the parrots of the AVest-Indian Islands 

 and Central America, several of which have white heads or foreheads, occun-ing in 

 two distinct genera 51, while none of the more numerous parrots of South America 

 are so coloured. In the small island of Dominica we have a very large and richlv- 

 coloured parrot {Chri/sotis aiif/usta) corresponding to the large and richly-coloured 

 Papilio homcrn^ of Jamaica. 



The Andaman Islands are equally remarkable, at least six of the peculiar birds 

 diffeiing from their continental allies in being much lighter, and sometimes with 

 a large quantity of pure white in the plumage**, exactly corresponding to what 

 occurs among the butterflies. 



In the Philippines this is not so marked a feature ; yet we have here : — the only 

 known white-breasted kingcrow (iJicrurus mirabilis) ; the newly discovered Ewy- 



* Eitplcea andamanenms, Cethosia hiblis, Cyrestis codes. 

 t Danais nossima, Melanitis massoura, Diarlema dcxifhca. 



\ I'apilio hcmcriis. § P. dauniis. || P. gtmdlachianus, P. villiersi. 



Tl Planus albifrons and Chrysoffs senilis (C. America), Chryso'is salkei (Hayti). 

 ** Kitfacincla alhiveiitris, Geocichla albiguhms, S'urna andamaiumsi?, Hylotcrpe grisola, 

 Tar., lanthoenas 2^alu7iboidcs, Osmotreron chkjropfcra. 



