The Popular Science Review, Vol. 11: A Quarterly Miscellany of Entertaining and Instructive Articles on Scientific Subjects (Classic Reprint)

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Excerpt from The Popular Science Review, Vol. 11: A Quarterly Miscellany of Entertaining and Instructive Articles on Scientific SubjectsHE subj ect of ao-called Mimicry in the animal kingdom has recently attracted no small share of attention both from naturalists and from amateurs. The phenomena included in the term are indeed such as, from their singularity and their apparent marvellousness, cannot but captivate even the most dilettante student of Nature. Mr. Bates, in his Natura list on the Amazons, may be said to have first introduced the subject to the notice of the general public. Mr. Trimen has recorded, in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, some remarkable and beautiful instances among South African Lepi doptera, and Mr Wallace, in his delightful Malay Archi pelago, has done still more to arouse the interest of even the most unobservant reader. Some of the imitations depicted in the illustrations of the latter book are, indeed, simply wonderful. The obj ect of this singular mimicry is considered, by those most conversant with the subj ect, to be a certain amount of proteo tion gained by the mimicking species, through its superficial resemblance, thus acquired, to another species, which enj oys, for some reason, special immunity from the attacks of enemies, or to some inanimate obj ect. Whether this explanation is supported by a careful examination of the facts it is not now my purpose to inquire, the subj ect having been ably debated elsewhere. This resem blance occurs sometimes between species belonging to one family or order, as between one butter¿y and another, sometimes between forms much more distantly related, as between a ¿y and a. Bee, or an ant and a spider, sometimes between animals and 1norganic objects, as between a caterpillar and a twig, or an insect in the perfect condition and a decayed.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.