Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-10-04
INSECT MIMICRY.
BUTTERFLIES That Assume the Color
and shape of Tree Leaves.

BUTTERFLIES That Assume the Color
and shape of Tree Leaves.
A phase of animal life which at
tracts our attention and calls forth I'M
ceasing wonderment Is that of protec-
tive resemblance. Nature has wisely
endowed certain defenseless animals
with this peculiar faculty, which makes
them mimic their surroundings so that
they may avoid their enemies. This is
especially true of some insects. The
katydid, with its gauzy green wings.
will fall zigzagging from tree to the
ground in such way that any feath-
cred enemy seeing it would think it a
leaf. The same method of protection
is seen in our common butterflies and
moths that mimic flowers and leaves.
Tie moths mimic bits of wood and
stone. so that when they alight on the
ground they are at once invisible to
their pursuers.
Travelling fakirs in India have way
of making use of their knowledge of
this faculty in insects and by means
of it perform what they call a miracle.
TIE fakir thrusts into the ground
small tree with leaves about three
inches long He then takes from box
dozen or more butterflies of rare
beauty. When the onloohcrs have eX-
am.ned these TO make sure that they
are real he throws them one by one
into the air. and they alight on the tree
and Immediately become invisible. The
have been lypnotiacd but. the fakir
catching tie little tree and giving it
shake. TIE butterflies float into the air
ana again settle about the tree and dis
appear.
Tie fakir then points out the Illusion
lie oullee.,ics wee not three feet
from the eyes and had so mimicked tle
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 mid
rib Of tie Leaf and the delicate lateral
branches from 1t, willie tie stem Of the
leaf was closely initiated 10y the lower
portion of the wings which were press
ed against the stem. This mimic.
known to science as "kallina," if fol
lowed by Il bird simply alights on a
bush or tree and becomes invisible
Other Interesting instances of MINI
icly are found among the butterflies in
InIia. a naturalist noted a butterfly
,Lc;e that WIS not only remarkable
mimic. but Wien followed it initiated
,..c peculiar flight of Il butterfly that
WIS obnoxious to birds. In almost
every group of insects we find this pro
tective resemblance, but those among
tie walking sticks and walking leaves
acc most remarkable. In the latter we
have an example of an insect 50 closely
resembling Il leaf. that it bears close
examination without discovery. The
insect looks as if it We're made up of
.evcral pieces of leaf. Still another
cannot be taken for anything other
IAN Il dry brown twig or branch, so
c,ose.y has it initiated the color and
lie sharp angles.
IN Gll forms of life there is tendency
20 adaptab:lity to the popularity of its
surroundings. Gayly tinted birds are
not. as Il rule, found on white, sandy
wastes, but in forests where there is
deep coloring and the contrast is not
great. The lion, the giraffe, the ostrich,
are forms which assimilate their sur
roundings. In California the horned
toad is ulmIs as invisible as the sand
ON which it lives. The little canyon
toad minics the rocks GA which it
rests, While the frog of the dast is
scarcely to be distinguished from the
weej.s among which it lives.-New
York Herald.