. Elementary biology; an introduction to the science of life . Fig. 172. The Indian leaf butter- fly (Art///z«a). (Slightly reduced) Many arguments concerning the evo- lution of animal life have been based on the striking resemblance between the wings of this insect when at rest and brown leaves. It has been said that the animal looks like a leaf only when it comes to rest with the head up ; but observers who have seen the animal in its native surroundings tell us that it always comes to rest head dow7i, on guard against lizards. In this position it is sufficiently con- spicuous to be recogniz
. Elementary biology; an introduction to the science of life . Fig. 172. The Indian leaf butter- fly (Art///z«a). (Slightly reduced) Many arguments concerning the evo- lution of animal life have been based on the striking resemblance between the wings of this insect when at rest and brown leaves. It has been said that the animal looks like a leaf only when it comes to rest with the head up ; but observers who have seen the animal in its native surroundings tell us that it always comes to rest head dow7i, on guard against lizards. In this position it is sufficiently con- spicuous to be recognized even by untrained human eves 403. Warning colors. We saw that some of the wastes produced in Hving bodies are poisonous (see p. 203), and we can understand that the presence of these poisons in the body of a plant or an animalHvould make such a body undesirable as food for another animal. Distasteful (bitter, sour, acrid, foul- smelling) substances may thus serve to protect organisms against possible enemies. Poisonous and distasteful substances in an animal body are often associated with conspicuous colors, which have been called warning colors by some naturalists. The idea is that the bright color warns enemies against eating
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