ail. We might be sure, however, from
the analogy of many other cases, that the habits of the insect are such
as still further to aid its deceptive garb; but we are not obliged to
make any such supposition, since I myself had the good fortune to
observe scores of Kallima paralekta, in Sumatra, and to capture many of
them, and can vouch for the accuracy of the following details: These
butterflies frequent dry forests and fly very swiftly. They were never
seen to settle on a flower or a green leaf, but were many times lost
sight of in a bush or tree of dead leaves. On such occasions they were
generally searched for in vain, for while gazing intently at the very
spot where one had disappeared, it would often suddenly dart out and
again vanish twenty or fifty yards further on. On one or two occasions
the insect was detected reposing, and it could then be seen how
completely it assimilates itself to the surrounding leaves. It sits on
a nearly upright twig, the wings fitting closely back to back,
concealing the antennae and head, which are drawn up between their bases.
The little tails of the hind wings touch the branch and form a perfect
stalk to the leaf, which is supported in its place by the claws of the
middle pair of feet, which are slender and inconspicuous. The irregular
outline of the wings gives exactly the perspective effect of a
shrivelled leaf. We thus have size, colour, form, markings, and habits,
all combining together to produce a disguise which may be said to be
absolutely perfect; and the protection which it affords is sufficiently
indicated by the abundance of the individuals that possess it....

We will now endeavour to show how these wonderful resemblances have most
probably been brought about. Returning to the higher animals, let us
consider the remarkable fact of the rarity of white colouring in the
mammalia or birds of the temperate or tropical zones in a state of
nature. There is not a single white land-bird or quadruped in Europe,
except the few arctic or alpine species to which white is a protective
colour. Yet in many of these creatures there seems to be no inherent
tendency to avoid white, for directly they are domesticated white
varieties arise, and appear to thrive as well as others. We have white
mice and rats, white cats, horses, dogs, and cattle, white poultry,
pigeons, turkeys, and ducks, and white rabbits. Some of these animals
have been domesticated for a long period, others only for a few