The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-04-28
INSECT MIMlcRY.
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 un-
ceaslng 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 hvoid their enemies. This is
especially true of some insects. The
katydid, with its gauzy green wings,
will fall zigzagging from q tree to the
ground in such way that any feath-
cred enemy seeing it would think it
leaf. The same method of protection
is seen in our common butterflies and
moths that mimic flowers and leaves.
The moths mimic bits of wood and
stone, so that when they alight OH 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 a
small tree with leaves about three
inches long. He then takes from box
a dozen or more butterflies Of rare
beauty. When the onlookers have ex-
amined 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 fallir
catching the little tree and giving it
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 were not three feet
from the eyes and had so mimicked the
leaves when their wings We're folded
that the deception was perfect, both in
color and shape. There were 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 We're press
ed against the stem. This mimic
known to science as "lzallina," if fol-
lowed by bird simply alights on a
bush or tree and becomes invisible.
Other interesting instances Of MINI
icry are found among the butterflies in
India. A naturalist noted a butterfly
there that was not only remarkable
mimic, but when followed it initiated
the peculiar fight of 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 1t bears close
examination without discovery. The
insect looks as if it were made up of
several pieces Of leaf Still another
cannot be taken for anything other
than a dry brown twig or branch, so
closely has it initiated the color and
the sharp angles.
In all forms Of life there is tendency
to adaptability to the popularity of it's
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.