The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-08

-asD Is
tected by covers that were so exact in
their imitation of other leaves in gen.
eral that any one would have been de-
ceived.
The insect was natural mimic,
and even its flight downward from
the tree was protective one, calcu
lated to deceive any feathered enemy
that might have been in the vicinity.
This phase of animal life, the feature
! of protective resemblances, is one
well calculated to attract our atten-
ton and cause unceasing wonder
ment. Nature has wisely endowed
certain defenceless animals with a
certain protective resemblance; made
them mimics of their surroundings so
that they may avoid their enemies;
and the extent to which this is carried
among certain animals, especially in
sects, makes the study one ofabsorb-
ing interest.
In all life there is certain adap-
tation to it's peculiar surroundings.
Gaily tinted birds are not, as rule,
found on white sandy wastes, but in
forests wherethere is deep coloring
and the contrast is not great. The
tawny lion, the giraffe, the ostrich,
are forms which assimilate their sur
roundings. In California the horned
toad is almost as invisible as the sand
in which it lives. A little canon
toad mimics the rocks upon which it
rests, in color, while the frogs of the
East are hardly distinguishable from
the green reeds among which they
hide.
This peculiar method of defence is
particularly marked among insects.
Some years ago a travelling fakir
stopped at bungalow in India and
offered for small sum to show the
guests of the sahib, who were new in
India, miracle. Told to go ahead,
he produced a snail tree with leaves
about three inches long, which he
thrust into the ground, then took
from large box carried by an atten-
dant a dozen butterflies of great
beauty. After the guests had exam
iped them and assured themselves
that the insects were alive, the fakir
tossed them one by one into the air.
Each alighted on the tree and be-
came invisible. When all had dis
appeared the fakir asked the sahib to
look for them. The English man ex-
amined the tree carefully, but failed
to find the dozen butterflies, each of
which was four inches across.
They had all heard of the Indian
hypnotism, and thought that this
possibly was an instance in hand;
but the laughing fakir caught up the
tree and giving it shake, the insects
foated in the air for a moment, and
then gathered about the tree again to
mysteriously disappear.
The fakir then pointed out the illu-
sion; the butterflies were not foot
from their eyes, and so mimicked the
leaves when their wings were folded
that the deception was perfect, both
in color and shape. There were even
the delicate mold spots, the central or
midrib of the leaf and the delicate
lateral branches from it, while the
stem of the leaf was closely initiated
by the lower portion of the wings
which were pressed against the stem.
This mimic, known to science as
kallina, if followed by bird simply
alights on a bush or tree and becomes
invisible, and the fakir has simply
taken advantage of the natural pro-
lection of the butterfly.
The same protection is seen in
many of our common butterflies that
mimic flowers or leaves. Remarkable
resemblances are noticed among the
moths, some mimicking bits of wood
or stone, so that when they alight
they become at once invisible, and
thus escape from any possible pur-
suer.