| → destruction to a large extent, 1869 1872 |
| to a large extent, destruction, 1866 |
|
| → Mr. Bates never saw them preyed on by 1866 1869 |
| a large amount of evidence has now been collected, showing that they are distasteful to 1872 |
|
| → certain large insects which attack other butterflies. 1869 |
| certain large insects which attack other butterflies; 1866 |
| other insect-devouring animals. 1872 |
|
| → He has good reason to believe 1869 |
| he suspects 1866 |
|
| → in 1869 1872 |
| if not persecuted, in 1866 |
|
| → escape much destruction. 1869 |
| escape entire annihilation. 1866 |
| often escape destruction. 1872 |
|
| → to have actually 1869 1872 |
| that Mr. Bates has 1866 |
|
| → which 1869 1872 |
| whether these be ranked as species or varieties, which 1866 |
|
| → varied in an extreme degree. 1869 1872 |
| vary much. 1866 |
|
|
the mimicked and others as the mimickers? Mr. Bates satisfactorily answers this question, by showing that the form which is imitated keeps the usual dress of the group to which it belongs, whilst the counterfeiters have changed their dress and do not resemble their nearest allies. |
|
| We are next led to inquire what reason can
be assigned for certain butterflies and moths so often assuming the dress of
and quite distinct
why, to the perplexity of naturalists, has nature
to the tricks of the stage? Mr. Bates has,
doubt, hit on the true explanation. The mocked forms, which always abound in numbers, must habitually
→destruction to a large extent,
otherwise they could not exist in such swarms; and
→Mr. Bates never saw them preyed on by
birds and
→certain large insects which attack other butterflies.
→He has good reason to believe
that this immunity is owing to a peculiar and offensive odour
they emit. The mocking forms, on the other hand,
inhabit the same district, are comparatively rare, and belong to rare groups; hence they must suffer habitually from some danger, for otherwise, from the number of eggs laid by all butterflies, they
→in
three or four generations swarm over the whole country. Now if a member of one of these persecuted and rare groups were to assume a dress so like that of a well-protected species that it continually deceived the practised eyes of an entomologist, it would often deceive
birds and insects, and thus
→escape much destruction.
may almost be said
→to have actually
witnessed the process by which the mimickers have come so closely to resemble the mimicked; for he
that some of the forms of
→which
mimic so many other butterflies,
→varied in an extreme degree. In one district several varieties
|
