37° THE PLACE OF MIMICRY 



Thus the dark, stick-like Brenthidae seem to possess a 

 marked Procryptic appearance when examined in the 

 cabinet, but Mr. Shelford tells me that they are very 

 commonly found on flowers where they are most con- 

 spicuous. Mr. Marshall also states that the large black 

 African weevils move slowly, and are freely exposed, so 

 that they, too, must be visible from a great distance. 

 The examples in which the models appear to be un- 

 doubtedly Procryptic are probably to be explained by the 

 peculiar character of the defence. Hardness would not 

 avail ' against an enemy large enough to swallow the 

 beetle whole, so that it could be ground down in the 

 gizzard, or the interior slowly extracted by digestive 

 fluids gaining access by the joints and other apertures. 

 Defence by a sting, a nauseous taste or smell, or 

 unwholesome qualities, is effective against enemies of all 

 sizes and all degrees of strength, although failing against 

 occasional specially adapted foes. It is possible that 

 these considerations may enable us to understand why 

 it is that certain Rhynchophora are remarkable among 

 Coleoptera for combining a cryptic colouring with sufficient 

 immunity to render them feasible models for mimicry '} 



9. Butterflies and Moths, chiefly Oriental, Selected in 

 1890 to Illustrate Various Aspects of Mimicry. — Almost 

 all of the following species, shown as examples of Mimicry 

 at the Lecture to the British Association in 1890, would now 

 be looked upon as instances of Miillerian (Synaposematic) 

 Resemblance. The entire list is, however, reprinted in 

 this place in order to direct attention to the recent change 

 in interpretation. The examples were selected — except 

 in one important series of related forms, viz. Papilio dar- 

 danus (merope), its sub-species and allies — from Oriental 

 Lepidoptera. The examples of Mimicry hitherto brought 

 forward in this work are principally South American and 

 Ethiopian, so that it may be useful to direct attention to 

 a brief list of mimetic species from the East, especially 

 when they have been chosen in order to illustrate the 

 various degrees of complexity with which these superficial 

 resemblances are attained. 



1 Trans. Ent. Soc, Land., 1902, p. 523. 



