104 W. H. NUNNEY ON SCALE EVOLUTION. 



view, and that of evolution does not explain why, for instance, a 

 lowly creature like Polyxenus amongst the Myriapods should be 

 furnished with hairs so vastly more complicated than any that 

 occur on the Ox fly, or many beetle larva?. There are difficulties 

 almost insurmountable in the holding of views other than those 

 based on mere adaptation to circumstances, but it would certainly 

 seem that although we cannot point to Ithomia as a positive 

 example of scale evolution, yet the great number of intermediate 

 forms between the simple hair and the true scale tends to impress 

 the observer with the idea that we have here actually caught a 

 glimpse into the heart of the developmental process, and I, at least, 

 am unacquainted with any instance by which the subject is better 

 illustrated. 



