The experiments with the baboons were more extensive. Two species of
_Acraea_, _halali_ and _axina_, were recognised when first offered and
refused untasted. _Danais chrysippus_, on the other hand, was tasted on
being offered for the first time, and then rejected. This species was twice
offered subsequently and tasted each time before being rejected. When
offered the fourth time it was rejected at sight. The baboon evidently
learned to associate an unpleasant taste with the _chrysippus_ pattern. At
this stage it would have been interesting to have offered it some
well-known mimic of _chrysippus_, such as the female of _Hypolimnas
misippus_ or the _trophonius_ form of _Papilio dardanus_, but this
experiment was unfortunately not made. Marshall did, however, offer it at
the same time a specimen each of _Byblia ilithyia_ (a Vanessid) and of
_Acraea axina_ to which it bears a general resemblance. The baboon took the
former but neglected the latter altogether. The general resemblance between
the two species was not sufficiently close to deceive it.
These experiments with mammals, though few in number, are of unusual
interest. Should they be substantiated by further work it is not impossible
{123} that, as a factor in the establishing of a mimetic likeness, a
stronger case may be made out for the monkey than the bird. The monkey
apparently eats butterflies readily[79]: owing probably to a keener sense
of smell it shews far less hesitation as to its likes and dislikes: its
intelligence is such that one can easily imagine it exercising the
necessary powers of discrimination; in short it is the ideal enemy for
which advocates of the mimicry theory have been searching--if only it could
fly. As things are its butterfly captures must be made when the insect is
at rest, probably near sunrise and sunset, and this leads to a difficulty.
Most butterflies rest with their wings closed. In many of the well-known
cases of mimicry the pattern on the under surface of the mimic's wings
which would meet the monkey's eye is quite different from that of its
model. It is difficult in such cases to imagine the monkey operating as a
factor in establishing a resemblance between the upper surfaces of the
wings of the two unrelated species. On the other hand, some butterflies,
{124} _e.g._ _Papilio polytes_, rest with wings outspread, and there are
rare cases, such as that of _P. laglaizei_ (p. 27), where the most striking
point about the resemblance is only to be appreciated when the insects are
at rest with their wings closed. In such cases it is conceivable that the
monkey may play a part in the elimination of the non-mimetic elements of a
palatable species which at the same time possessed a mimetic form closely
resembling another species disagreeable to the monkey's taste. As has been
pointed out earlier (p. 96) even a slight persecution directed with
adequate discrimination will in time bring about a marked result where the
mimetic likeness is already in existence.
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