THE FAERY YEAR 



in a sheltered spot has already its chaste flush of 

 rose. Another fortnight, and all but the slow oak 

 woods will be in a glow. 



The Caterpillar as Mimic 



A host, immenser than that of the birds even, is 

 on its travels : the caterpillars of many species of 

 moths and butterflies have left their food trees and 

 plants, and are seeking winter quarters. We find 

 them on the roads, in the short grass, and in gardens 

 and shrubberies, to which some must laboriously 

 have travelled many yards from their food plants. 

 Most of them are about to change to pupae, but the 

 brilliancy of their caterpillar colours is scarcely 

 tarnished yet. The use or story of this brilliancy 

 is very far from clear. The theory is simple the 

 proof wholly wanting. It is this : where the cater- 

 pillar does not, in form, colour, or both, mimic leaf 

 and stem environment, its brilliancy is a safeguard 

 a signal to the enemy to desist from seizing and 

 swallowing, as the meat is evil ; where the form, 

 colour, or both, mimic environment, they show the 

 meat is good to the taste of the enemy, and must 

 therefore be hidden by this device. 



But there is no proof that the enemy does pass 



by the caterpillar of gorgeous colour and elaborate 



pattern ; there is not even proof that the enemy is 



deceived by the mimicry of the caterpillar which is 



242 



