s trigeminus,
both having black rings disposed in threes. In Elaps hemiprichii the
ground colour appears to be black, with alternations of two narrow
yellow bands and a broader red one; and of this pattern again we have an
exact double in Oxyrhopus formosus, both being found in many localities
of tropical South America.

What adds much to the extraordinary character of these resemblances is
the fact, that nowhere in the world but in America are there any snakes
at all which have this style of colouring. Dr. Gunther, of the British
Museum, who has kindly furnished some of the details here referred to,
assures me that this is the case; and that red, black, and yellow rings
occur together on no other snakes in the world but on Elaps and the
species which so closely resemble it. In all these cases, the size and
form as well as the colouration, are so much alike, that none but a
naturalist would distinguish the harmless from the poisonous species.

Many of the small tree-frogs are no doubt also mimickers. When seen in
their natural attitudes, I have been often unable to distinguish them
from beetles or other insects sitting upon leaves, but regret to say I
neglected to observe what species or groups they most resembled, and the
subject does not yet seem to have attracted the attention of naturalists
abroad.

_Mimicry among Birds._

In the class of birds there are a number of cases that make some
approach to mimicry, such as the resemblance of the cuckoos, a weak and
defenceless group of birds, to hawks and Gallinaceae. There is, however,
one example which goes much further than this, and seems to be of
exactly the same nature as the many cases of insect mimicry which have
been already given. In Australia and the Moluccas there is a genus of
honeysuckers called Tropidorhynchus, good sized birds, very strong and
active, having powerful grasping claws and long, curved, sharp beaks.
They assemble together in groups and small flocks, and they have a very
loud bawling note, which can be heard at a great distance, and serves to
collect a number together in time of danger. They are very plentiful
and very pugnacious, frequently driving away crows, and even hawks,
which perch on a tree where a few of them are assembled. They are all of
rather dull and obscure colours. Now in the same countries there is a
group of orioles, forming the genus Mimeta, much weaker birds, which
have lost the gay colouring of their allies the golden o