82 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



birds because of their pungency. That some insects are 

 peculiarly offensive may be proved from the experiment of Mr. A. 

 G. Butler. He placed some caterpillars of the Gooseberry Moth 

 (Abraxas) before a frog, which sprang forward and licked one 

 into its mouth ; no sooner had it done so than it found it had 

 made a mistake, and sat with gaping mouth and rolling tongue 

 until it got quit of the nauseous morsel. The fact that certain 

 insects are extremely nauseous explained half of a fact observed 

 by Mr. Bates on the Amazon. Mr. Bates noticed fifteen species 

 of Pieridse that imitated Heliconidse so closely as to need the 

 most careful examination to distinguish them. The Heliconidse 

 are most offensive, and the Pieridae by their resemblance escape 

 destruction. That one example is sufficient to show what occurs 

 among the Lepidoptera. Other examples will be found in Mr. A. 

 R. Wallace's " Tropical Life," and probably by some of you from 

 nature herself. 



Another group of insects in which the most perfect mimicry 

 obtains is the beetle group. Here we find longicorns possessed 

 of a curious resemblance to malacoderms, the former being 

 persecuted by insectivorous birds, while the latter are distasteful 

 and are let alone. A most curious example of mimicry is seen in 

 the case of a beetle of the genus Coloborhombus, which appears 

 at first sight identical with a large Bornean wasp, and the beetle 

 is evidently conscious of the power of its danger signals, as it 

 always moves about with expanded wings. 



It is only necessary to mention the names of Sesia bombitiformis, 

 apiformis, vespiformz's, to indicate how these clear-winged moths 

 benefit in their stolen garb. 



Among vertebrates, too, we can find examples of mimicry. In 

 a genus of snakes (Elaps) a very prominent peculiar colouring is 

 seen. The snake always bears about with him a very legibly 

 written notice to all whom it may concern, especially snake- 

 eating birds and animals, that he is poisonous to eat as well as in 

 biting. Very like this is a harmless edible snake, Pliocerus 

 equalis, which from its resemblance to the poisonous species 

 enjoys immunity. 



A very good example of mimicry among birds is noticed at 

 great length in A. R. Wallace's " Malay Archipelago." The 

 Friar Birds, with their long, curved, sharp beaks, quite a match for 

 any crow or hawk, are very closely imitated by a timid harmless 

 Oriole, and even a good naturalist has, at first sight, considered 

 an Oriole and a Friar Bird to be the same species. 



I have no doubt that investigation would show that among the 

 pelagic fauna there were a great many cases of mimicry, and in 

 fact a Sydney gentlemen has told me that he could not make out 

 a carpet shark till it began to move away, though he knew it was 

 only a few feet off, nearly under the boat. 



