eir prey by attracting them within the enemy's reach. Only a
few cases of this kind of coloration have yet been observed, chiefly
among spiders and mantidae; but, no doubt, if attention were given to
the subject in tropical countries, many more would be discovered. Mr.
H.O. Forbes has described a most interesting example of this kind of
simulation in Java. While pursuing a large butterfly through the jungle,
he was stopped by a dense bush, on a leaf of which he observed one of
the skipper butterflies sitting on a bird's dropping. "I had often," he
says, "observed small Blues at rest on similar spots on the ground, and
have wondered what such a refined and beautiful family as the Lycaenidae
could find to enjoy, in food apparently so incongruous for a butterfly.
I approached with gentle steps, but ready net, to see if possible how
the present species was engaged. It permitted me to get quite close, and
even to seize it between my fingers; to my surprise, however, part of
the body remained behind, adhering as I thought to the excreta. I looked
closely, and finally touched with my finger the excreta to find if it
were glutinous. To my delighted astonishment I found that my eyes had
been most perfectly deceived, and that what seemed to be the excreta was
a most artfully coloured spider, lying on its back with its feet crossed
over and closely adpressed to the body." Mr. Forbes then goes on to
describe the exact appearance of such excreta, and how the various parts
of the spider are coloured to produce the imitation, even to the liquid
portion which usually runs a little down the leaf. This is exactly
imitated by a portion of the thin web which the spider first spins to
secure himself firmly to the leaf; thus producing, as Mr. Forbes
remarks, a living bait for butterflies and other insects so artfully
contrived as to deceive a pair of human eyes, even when intently
examining it.[79]

A native species of spider (Thomisus citreus) exhibits a somewhat
similar alluring protection by its close resemblance to buds of the
wayfaring tree, Viburnum lantana. It is pure creamy-white, the abdomen
exactly resembling in shape and colour the unopened buds of the flowers
among which it takes its station; and it has been seen to capture flies
which came to the flowers.

But the most curious and beautiful case of alluring protection is that
of a wingless Mantis in India, which is so formed and coloured as to
resemble a pink orchis or some oth