The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-12-06

examples of this mimetic poweS; mean
locusts. These locusts on the upperl
row have wing-cases Of a dusty colcT.
| caught them one noon in thc middle
of North street. When they were rest
ing l could not tell the difference be-
tween them and the road, but as soon
as they spread their wings could see
and catch then"
Here's one all yellow"
Eyes; that one found in a marsh
down at Ocean Park, where all the.
weeds and the soil were of q yellowish
hue. just look at the difference be-
tween this and the first one. This one
has white wings, with a black line
across them; the body is white, and the
wing-caseS look as if sand had been
sprin1led over them. These came from
the beach between Old Orchard and
Ocean Park. If their wings were folded
it would be very difficult to distinguish
them from the dry white sand. L
watched ion@ time one day to see if /
could find any on the sand, and fire.
quently / was astonished to have one
fly up in my face when had just looked
carefully over the place where it had
been lying,
Here is Turner's butterfly. If
some time in spring you should see one
of these on the ground and not know
what it was, you would be likely to say,
as | did the time | saw one: ooh, what
a pretty leaf with black lines on it'
and you would be very much astonished,
as l was, to see it fly away.
GsFTbi. DliI,l;on L,tt,,,.i,r 90 Ill
that if you were to see it on q dande-
lion you would be puzzled to know
where the dandelion left off and the
butterfly began, or vice versa. If Il
Vanessa Antiope butterfly was on an
apple tree Il have noticed they prefer
russell apple trees), with its wings
closed, | could not tell which was the
bark or which the under side of the
butterfly, We're it not for q slow, way
ing motion of the wings, rs if it We're
tanning itself.
Zone day, when | was hurrying up
North street, | saw. rs | thought,
brown leaf drop down ut nay side rom
one Of the trees. What pretty leaf;
OH and, running after Il very pretty
butterfly, | waited till it settled, put my
hat over. and so caught it. Loo. at its
| under side, boys, and YOU viii sec it
might easily be mistaken for leaf.
These purplish, cSear-winged, day
flying humming-bird moths feed on the
big thistle heads, and it requires seeing
eyes to discover them.
Beetles have this mimctc power to
a great extent, but have only few to
show you This one looks like a little
ball of dirt. Sometimes this kind of
beetle is mistaken for ball of dirt, and
| sometimes the dirt for the beetle.
81 wonder if, when you have been
eating blackberries, you have suddenly
noted a sharp, disagreeable taste in
your MOUTH"
q have, said John, land a mighty
disagreeable taste it was, too"
$50 have l, said Lincoln.
''Well, perhaps you know, then,
that you have eaten bluebcrry bug.
This is about the size, shape and color
of a green blueberry, and if you were
| eating your berries in the pasture, moth
ing would be more likely than that you
| should eat some bugs, too.
Il have only one more example of
mimetic beetles here, and this is the
painted clytus, which lives on the
| golden-rod. 1t is marked with green
and yellow, THUS mimicking the color of
the flower.
Perhaps you are wondering why in
sects have this power? think that the
Creator gave it to them so they might
escape from enemies that were not
bright enough to see through it. -
Helen montgomery, IN Christian Union.