236 NOVEMBER 



poisonous sort. Where foes are scarce it is only 

 the lady who assumes the disguise of safety, as she 

 has to stand by and look after the family ; but the 

 male wears his old uniform like a man, and runs the 

 chance of getting a mauser bullet (or its equivalent) 

 into him. Some of the ladies are even leaving off 

 wings, and they pretend it is because it makes them 

 look like stalks, and that they merely do it so as not 

 to attract attention ; but I fear it may only be from 

 some slavish following of fashion, which has decreed 

 that wings are not worn this year. How I wish I 

 could see you Oh, that has nothing to do 



with the subject ! " said Petunia, hastily folding the 

 letter. 



A very fascinating book to which Petunia first 

 directed my attention is Mr. E. B. Poulton's Colours 

 of Animals. It would be impossible for a non- 

 specialist reader to give any just idea of its scope, 

 but even the ordinary person to whom the subject 

 is interesting may be permitted to enjoy it in a 

 semi - ignorant fashion. Mr. Poulton begins by 

 tracing the significance of colour and its direct 

 physiological value, and then proceeds to the study 

 of protective and aggressive resemblance and 

 mimicry. Judging from my own case, there must 

 be many persons walking this globe who have never 

 made use of their eyes until perhaps some happy 

 accident or the casual remark of a naturalist has 

 forced them to realise that even in nature things 

 are not always what they seem. 



By far the most widespread use of colour, as Mr. 

 Poulton points out, is to assist an animal in escaping 

 from its natural enemies, or in securing its prey. 



