The Greeley tribune., 1905-02-09
INSECT MiMICRY.
Butternie. That Assume the Color
and shape. Of Tree Leaves

A phase of animal life which at
tracts our attention and calls forth uh-
ceasing wunderment is that OF protec-
tive resemblance. Nature has wisely
endowed certain defenscles> animals
with this peculiar faculty, which makes
them mimic their surroundings 50 that
they may avoid their eneMieS. IRIS IS
especially true of some insects. Inc
katydid, with its gauzy green wings
will fall ZigZagging from tree 10 the
ground in such II way that any ieatH-
cred enemy seeing it would think it Il
leaf. The same method of protection
is seen in our common butterflies ana
moths that mimic lowers and leaves.
The 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 miracle.
The fakir thrusts into the ground
small tree with leaves about three
inches long. He then takes from box
a dozen or more butterflies of rare
beauty. When the onlookcrs have eN-
aminel 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
first supposition is that the onlookers
have been hypnotized; but. the fakir
catching the little tree and giving it a
shake. the butterflies float into the air
and again settle about the tree and dis
appear.
The fakir then points out the Illusion.
The butterflies We're not three feet
from the eyes and had so mimicked the
leaves when their wings Were folded
that the deception was perfect, both in
color and shape. There We're even the
delicate mold spots. the central or mid
rib 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 press
ed against the stem. This mimic,
known TO science as "kallina, If fol-
lowed by bird simply alightS on
bush or tree and becomes invisible.
Other Interesting instances of MIN
icry are found among the butterflies in
India naturalist noted butterfly
there that was not only Il remarkable
mimic. but when followed it initiated
the peculiar flight of "A butterfly that
was obnoxious to birds. In almost
every group of insects we find this pro
tective resemblance. but those among
the walking sticks and walking leaves
are most remarkable In the latter we
have an example of an insect so closely
resembling leaf that it bears close
examination without discovery. The
insect looks as if it We're made mp of
several pieces of leaf. Still another
cannot be taken for anything other
than dry brown twig or branch. so
closely has it initiated the color and
the sharp angles.
In all forms of life there is n tendency
to adaptability to the peculiarly of its
surroundings. Gayly tinted birds are
not, as 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 almost as invisible as the sand
on which it lives. The little canyon
toad mimics the rocks on which it
rests, while the frog of the east is
scarcely TO be distinguished from the
weeds among which it lives-New
York Herald