240 Sir Joliu Lubbock on 



brownish, one greyisli-green and only one {L. Syhillci) 

 green. Thus, while green is so j^rejionclerating a colour 

 among smooth-skinned or ordinarily pubescent caterpillars 

 (37 out of the QQ species of butterflies being of this colovu"), 

 only a single spiny species is thus coloured. 



Now, let us look at these numbers under a different 

 aspect. Out of QQ species 10 are black ; and, as Ave have 

 already seen, all these are spiny or hairy. The larva of 

 Parnassius Apollo — a species reputed to have been taken 

 in this country — is stated to be black, and is not hairy or 

 spiny; but, as it has red spots and blue tubercles, and the 

 neck is furnished with a yellow forked appendage, it is 

 probably sufficiently protected. The larva of Papilio 

 Machaon is also marked with black and is provided with 

 strongly-scented tentacles, which probably serve as a pro- 

 tection. 



There are some other colours, which are instructive 

 from the present point of view. Take brown, for example. 

 There are 16 species of this colour, and of these, seven 

 are hairy or spiny. 



Red and blue are rare colours among caterpillars. 

 Omitting minute dots, we have six species which are 

 more or less marked with red or orange, viz., A. Aglaia, 

 V. Aniiopa, N. Lucina, C. Alsus, P. Cratcegi and 

 P. Machaon. Of these, two are spiny, two hairy, and 

 one protected by scent-emitting tentacles. The orange 

 medio-dorsal line of C. Alsus is not very conspicuous, 

 and has been omitted in some descriptions. The larvse 

 oi Papilio Podalirius and Parnassius Apollo — two species 

 formerly reputed British — are also marked Avith red, and 

 these are likcAvise provided Avith tentacles. Blue is even 

 rarer than red ; in fact, none of our butterfly larvae can 

 be said to exhibit this colour. The caterpillar of P. Apollo 

 is figured as having blue tubercles. 



Now, let us turn to the moths. Of these caterpillars I 

 have tabulated the !Sphingidce, Cocliopidce, ProciHdce, 

 ZggcenidcB, Nolidce, lAtliosidce, EuchelidcB, Chelonidcs, 

 Liparidce, Bombycidce, DrepamdcB and Pseudo-Bombyces 

 — these groups comprising nearly all our larger species. 

 The Hepialid(s, ZeuzeridcB and Sesidce have been omitted, 

 because these larvje are all internal or subterranean feeders, 

 and are devoid of any striking colour,* This leaves 



* See some remarks on this subject in a paper by Mr. MeUlola, "On a 

 certain Class of Cases of Variable Protective Colouring in Insects," in 

 "Proc. Zool. Soc." for 187o, p. 159. • 



