different parts of the globe.
Several instances of this fortuitous resemblance are cited in
Beddard's _Animal Colouration_; others are cited in _The Making of
Species_ by Finn, and myself.

Perhaps the most striking case is that of a cuckoo found in New Zealand,
known as _Eudynamis taitensis_. This is a near relative of the Indian
koel, which bears remarkable resemblance to an American hawk
(_Accipiter cooperi_). Writing of this cuckoo, Sir Walter Buller
says: "Not only has our cuckoo the general contour of Cooper's
sparrow-hawk, but the tear-shaped markings on the underparts, and
the arrow-head bars on the femoral plumes are exactly similar in both.
The resemblance is carried still further, in the beautifully-banded
tail and marginal wing coverts, and likewise in the distribution of
colours and markings on the sides of the neck. On turning to Mr.
Sharpe's description of the young male of this species in his
catalogue of the Accipitres in the British Museum, it will be seen
how many of the terms employed apply equally to our Eudynamis, even
to the general words, 'deep brown above with a chocolate gloss, all
the feathers of the upper surface broadly edged with rufous.' ...
Beyond the general grouping of the colours there is nothing to remind
us of our own Bush-hawk; and that there is no great protective
resemblance is sufficiently manifested, from the fact that our cuckoo
is persecuted on every possible occasion by the tits, which are
timorous enough in the presence of a hawk."

These cases of chance resemblance should make us unwilling to talk
about "mimicry," unless there is actual proof that one or other of
the similar species benefits by the resemblance.

These cases, further, throw light on the origin of protective mimicry
where it does exist.

Protective mimicry is usually said to have been brought about by the
action of natural selection. This is not strictly accurate. Natural
selection cannot cause two showy, dissimilar species to resemble one
another; all it can do is to seize upon and perfect a resemblance
that has been caused by the numerous factors that have co-operated
to bring about all the diversity of organic life upon this earth.

_THE GREAT HIMALAYAN BARBET_

Barbets may be described as woodpeckers that are trying to become
toucans. The most toucan-like of them all is the great Himalayan
barbet (_Megalaema marshallorum_). Barbets are heavily-built birds
of medium size, armed with formid