161 
But if this is so, a difficulty at once occurs in connection 
with those animals which are conspicuously coloured, and 
yet enjoy immunity from attack. This difficulty is re 
moved by the discovery that these creatures have certain 
disabilities attached to them : are hard to catch, difficult to 
swallow, or not good to eat ; and that it is therefore of 
advantage, both to themselves and their enemies, that they 
should have some distinct “ advertisement of inedibility.” 
This advantage being once admitted, it is obviously 
beneficial to a species which is not thus protected and 
which is good to eat, that it should mimic those which are 
difficult to catch or unpleasant to eat. I venture to affirm 
that we cannot find in connection with any scientific 
investigation a more splendid illustration of the extension 
of a theory so as to afford an all-embracing explanation of 
varied phenomena. It only remains for us to ask whether 
the actual facts agree with this great and striking 
generalisation. 
It is interesting to observe that the facts were known 
long before the time of Mr. Bates. Boisduval, in 1836, 
drew attention to the resemblance between butterflies of 
different genera and species ;* and in 1815 Kirby and 
Spence speak of insects “imitating the colour of the plants, 
or parts of them, which they inhabit” ; and refer to “the 
spectre tribe (Phasma) as going still further in this 
mimicry.” j- Therefore Mr. Bates cannot be credited with 
the invention of the term “ mimicry,” except in so far as it 
is understood to mean that mimicry is produced by the 
action of Natural Selection. 
Before dealing with the different classes of phenomena 
embraced under the generic term of defensive colouring, it 
may be well to consider certain features of this method of 
* Species Général des Lépidoptères, pp. 372-373. 
t Introduction to Entomology. p. 403. 
K