PEOTBCTIVE MIMICRY. 237 



the insects. This particular instance involves a high degree 

 of perceptive power and of reasoning intelligence among the 

 insects, which is difficult of acceptation. 



An excellent model for mimicry would be the skunk, which 

 is, according to Mr. Wallace, an example of warning coloration; 

 and there is a black and white squirrel, but not in the same 

 country. The paucity of examples of close resemblances be- 

 tween remotely allied mammals appears to me to have some 

 relation to the fact that the total numbers of the Mammalia 

 are so small as compared with insects. 



Some notion of the vast number of species of insects may 

 be formed by mentioning that in the year 1889 (according to 

 the Zoological Record), there were nearly fifteen hundred new- 

 species and varieties of Lepidoptera alone described. Out 

 of the vast assemblage of insects, with their varied colours 

 and patterns, it would be strange if there were not many cases- 

 of accidental resemblance; and there are many such. 



Mimicry among Birds. 



Among birds there are plenty of instances of resemblance 

 between members of different families, which may or may not 

 be advantageous. It is not easy to say whether some of these 

 may not be really due to generic affinity ; closely allied forms 

 of animals, showing their near relationship in numerous points 

 of structure, are often widely dissimilar in external character- 

 istics ; on the other hand, identical peculiarities of external 

 form and colour often crop up in animals which are ajjparently 

 some way removed from each other, and serve as an index of 

 their real affinity. 



The singular likeness between the goatsuckers and the owls 

 has frequently been remarked upon ; the mottled grey and 

 brown plumage has, in many cases, a closely similar pattern in 



