THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 81 



doubt, and in the course of the coming summer I am sure original 

 notes on mimicry will frequently be read here. Here, for example, 

 is a splendid example of mimicry from French Island. I don't 

 know exactly what it is ; it seems to be a Mantis. You see how 

 closely it resembles the tip of a growing gum shoot. Here, too, is 

 a grasshopper whose wings are quite undistinguishable from 

 blades of grass. I should like some of the entomologists present 

 to indicate the habits of the Mantis I have shown. Their know- 

 ledge may confirm or destroy my idea that it is a case of " alluring 

 mimicry " — that is, imitation for the purpose of securing its prey ; 

 for in India and Java there are species of Mantidae of genera 

 Gongylus and Hymenopus, which closely resemble flowers. 

 Each is a living trap, and woe befall the insect that seeks to 

 satisfy its hunger from the supposed nectar glands. It will catch 

 a tartar — or, rather, the tartar will catch it. 



Those of vou who are ornithologists will be able to give 

 examples of birds'-eggs that are left uncovered in open nests. 

 These eggs, I think you will find, will closely appoximate to their 

 surroundings. Of instances I myself know, I may just mention 

 the Sandpiper and the Lapwing. 



The examples I have hitherto cited have all as their object or 

 result the rendering inconspicuous the imitators. There are 

 other cases examples of quite the reverse. These would be 

 examples of mimicry in the restricted sense. In this way defence- 

 less creatures, by their resemblance to ones protected in a special 

 way, are themselves protected. It is important not to be taken 

 for what they are— eatable, defenceless creatures. Of the 

 morality of such hypocrisy I shall not here speak. A few 

 instances will prove interesting, and lead to fuller investigation. 

 A sort of generalized instance might be given by a case, say, of a 

 non-union man at the present juncture flaunting the union 

 colours to escape dire consequences of being what he really is. 

 In the insect world special examples of this are numerous. 

 Those insects whom no one can touch with impunity are all con- 

 spicuous. The wasp does not need to rely on protective 

 coloration for escaping its foes, and numerous harmless insects 

 are possessed of such a pungent taste or odour that insectivorous 

 creatures avoid them. Three groups of butterflies will serve for 

 examples — viz., the Heliconidas, Danaidae, and Acrseidae. All 

 these are gaudily coloured, have almost the same markings on 

 both sides of the wing, have a slow and sluggish flight, and are 

 possessed of a disagreeable odour, most difficult to remove if 

 some of the juice from the body, having been roughly handled, 

 gets on to the fingers. Perhaps some of you whose collections of 

 insects have been attacked by mites may have noticed that some 

 species are untouched. If so, observation would, I believe, show 

 that these are slow fliers, gaudily coloured, and untouched by 



