The utility obviously lies in presenting to the bird the very familiar
picture of a broken leaf with a clear shining slit, and we may
conclude, from the imitation of such small details, that the birds are
very sharp observers and that the smallest deviation from the usual
arrests their attention and incites them to closer investigation. It
is obvious that such detailed--we might almost say such
subtle--deceptive resemblances could only have come about in the
course of long ages through the acquirement from time to time of
something new which heightened the already existing resemblance.
In face of facts like these there can be no question of chance and no
one has succeeded so far in finding any other explanation to replace
that by selection. For the rest, the apparent leaves are by no means
perfect copies of a leaf; many of them only represent the torn or
broken piece, or the half or two-thirds of a leaf, but then the leaves
themselves frequently do not present themselves to the eye as a whole,
but partially concealed among other leaves. Even those butterflies
which, like the species of Kallima and Anaea, represent the whole of a
leaf with stalk, ribs, apex, and the whole breadth, are not actual
copies which would satisfy a botanist; there is often much wanting. In
Kallima the lateral ribs of the leaf are never all included in the
markings; there are only two or three on the left side and at more
four or five on the right, and in many individuals these are rather
obscure, while in others they are comparatively distinct. This
furnishes us with fresh evidence in favour of their origin through
processes of selection, for a botanically perfect picture could not
arise in this way; there could only be a fixing of such details as
heightened the deceptive resemblance.
Our postulate of origin through selection also enables us to
understand why the leaf-imitation is on the lower surface of the wing
in the diurnal Lepidoptera, and on the upper surface in the nocturnal
forms, corresponding to the attitude of the wings in the resting
position of the two groups.
The strongest of all proofs of the theory, however, is afforded by
cases of true "mimicry," those adaptations discovered by Bates in
1861, consisting in the imitation of one species by another, which
becomes more and more like its model. The model is always a species
that enjoys some special protection from enemies, whether because it
is unpleasant to taste, or because it is in some way dangerous.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account