180 THE entomologist's record. 



moi-e perfected tahes on in some degree the normal colouring, 

 chequered or otherwise, of the surroundings," can he explain the 

 meaning of tnkei^ on, and by what means this is accomplished? It is 

 quite certain the attacks of birds cannot introduce the colour of the 

 surroundings. Again he says " variegation of color alone tends to 

 incanspiciionsness, quite apart from whether the colors and surround in f/n 

 iiiat'-h or not," then why call every instance of this " protective 

 resemblance?" In support of the above, I remember once finding a 

 clutch of Lesser Tern's eggs on the beach, one of which was white. 

 Returning later in the day to photograph it, I found the clutch as 

 dif'Hcult to discover as one of normally coloured eggs, although I 

 had marked the spot pretty well. On another occasion I found 

 by accident four eggs of the Ringed Plover on a mudflat, quite 

 away from any beach, and unlike their surmundini/s, yet on returning 

 later to photograph them, I was surprised to find them as difficult to 

 discover as on the shingle where they are supposed to be so wonderfully 

 " protected." I shall have occasion to refer later on to these eggs on 

 the beach, Mr. Curtis says it is beyond his imagination entirely how 

 Cryptic Coloration ever arrived at its present perfection, if it does not 

 serve as a means of escaping attacks at rest, and offers a contradiction 

 when he casts a doubt as to whether " a utility to its possessor be 

 necessary at all." I am inclined to agree with the latter remark. Of 

 what use are the beautiful (to human beings) markings on lichens, 

 leaves, flowers, etc., the beautiful colour and markings of some stones, 

 the varied shapes of leaves, the colour and stripes on the hedge snails 

 Helix h(jrte)isis and H. nemoralis, the sculpturing on the eggs of a 

 number of moths and butterflies (the colour and pattern often present 

 on the former), the sculpturing on some seeds, some of which by the 

 way are very like the eggs of moths and butterflies ? Is this claimed 

 as mimicry too ? Mr. Curtis misrepresents me with regard to Biston 

 hirtaria on tree trunks. I did not say that they were attacked in the 

 daytime ; they were not, but at twilight ; but even if they 

 were, the spider on the trunk would be on the same plane and 

 would view the moth end on, when the cryptic resemblance (if 

 present) would be of no use. There is no doubt that movement 

 at dusk was fatal. I note Mr. Curtis gives instances of attacks 

 by a centipede and beetle on Tortri.r ribeana and Xnlopha^ia 

 vionofibipJia {poli/odon), and admits that it was at night and the moths 

 moving. As records of the fact these are alright, they do not help 

 "protective resemblance" however. Mr. Curtis must not confuse 

 the issue. In my original note I referred to moths at rest. He 

 demurs to my limiting the discussion on " protective resemblance " to 

 moths. I can quite understand this because he must know that the 

 surest and best way to attack the theory is to do so piecemeal, to avoid 

 confusing the issue by endeavouring to cover too much of the subject 

 at once. I can assure him that it was not because I had no evidence 

 against the theory in other orders of insects, birds, etc. Incidentally 

 I may mention that Ringed Plover and Tern's eggs on the beach, and 

 Lapwings on the beach and marshes are supposed to be good examples 

 of " protective resemblance," yet they are quite easily found by their 

 enemies— the Gulls, Crows, etc. The Lapwing's eggs on the green 

 grass of the marsh being no easier to find than on the bt-ach, to a 



