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MIMICEY AMONG PLANTS. 



By E. Marloth, Ph.D., M.A. 



(Plate VIII.) 



(Bead May 25, 1904.) 



Mimicry among animals is of such general occurrence that nobody 

 who takes the slightest notice of the creatures around him can over- 

 look these means of protection. Especially numerous are cases of 

 mimicry among insects, and South Africa in particular possesses 

 many most remarkable forms of this kind. 



Whoever meets the " flying leaf " or the " walking twig " or other 

 members of the Mantis tribe in their natural surroundings cannot 

 help admiring the perfect similarity of these insects and of the 

 plants among which they live. 



But there is no need for me to mention any further cases of 

 mimicry among insects, for the subject has been dealt with 

 in an excellent way in the presidential address delivered by Mr. 

 Trimen in 1884. 



Quite different, however, is the state of our knowledge with 

 regard to the occurrence of mimicry among plants. I may state 

 from the outset, that many of the instances described as mimicry 

 of plants appear to me to be due to teleological speculations and the 

 imagination of the writers. One of the most common cases of this 

 kind is that of the white dead nettle, which is supposed to mimic 

 in its foliage the stinging nettle. In all probability the popular 

 names of the two plants have had something to do with the view 

 that the dead nettle should find some protection in this similarity 

 of foliage. I think that this similarity is a mere coincidence, just 

 as the fruit of the edible chestnut, when green, resembles that of 

 the horse-chestnut ; yet I am not sure that the similarity of the two 

 fruits has not induced some writer to proclaim this as another case 

 of mimicry. 



