372 Mr. H. J. S. Pryer on tivo remarkable 



the yellow on the body of the moth is now almost 

 obliterated by grease.* 



The habits of these insects, as far as my observations 

 go, are that the wasp, bee, and beetle fly about under 

 the shade of the forest ; the wasp and beetle frequently 

 settle on the ground ; the bee flies very heavily, making 

 a loud buzzing noise ; the moth, when first seen, was 

 flying rapidly about a bush in the open, and was captured 

 while at rest on a leaf in the full blaze of the sun. 



The wasp (or beetle) is abundant, but difficult to 

 capture ; when flying or on the ground at a distance of 

 six feet it is quite impossible to distinguish the wasp 

 from the beetle, and I cannot therefore say which is 

 most common, as I only succeeded in securing a single 

 specimen of each. The bee is very common, but I 

 only saw one of the Sesia, which was taken on Pulo 

 Balhalla, an island just outside Sandakan Bay, and 

 about two miles from Eloj)ura. 



I have unsuccessfully endeavoured to apply Mr. Lewis' 

 theory to account for the remarkable resemblance shown 

 in coloration, as having been effected by the mechanical 

 action of light only, but in both instances we have an 

 equally remarkable resemblance in form, which I think 

 shows in a marked manner, more particularly in the 

 case of the wasp and beetle, a wonderful intentional 

 resemblance, indicating clearly the handiwork of an 

 Almighty designer, effected doubtless by the agency of 

 natural selection ; in contradistinction to an objectless 

 blind mechanical action of the laws of light, which 

 cannot fortuitously have also altered or adapted the 

 shape and size simultaneously in both cases to heighten 

 the protection undoubtedly obtained by the resemblance 

 in colour. 



Granting for the sake of argument that the habits of 

 the wasp and beetle are alike, and that both are sub- 

 jected to the same solar influences, still in the case of 

 the bee and moth the habits are very different. The 

 moth when first seen was flying rapidly, and afterwards 

 settled in the sun, this being in accordance with the 

 usual habits of a Sesia, the bee, on the contrary, spend- 

 ing most of its time in the shade. The question of 

 solar influence is also further complicated by the presence 



* Triscolia x>a.tricialis, Burm. (Descrilied from Sumatra). — 



W. F. KiKBY. 



