DED UC TION. A N TIC IP A TION. 1 5 I 



who, he said, had an innate genius for solving 

 difficulties. Wallace, by a pretty paradox, re- 

 ferred this anomalous set of facts to the well 

 known principle of protective coloring. He 

 said most caterpillars require protection, as 

 may be inferred from some kinds having spines 

 or hairs, others being colored like leaves and 

 twigs. But in known cases in which the color- 

 ing served to protect the larva it did so by con- 

 cealing the animal from its enemies. Gaudy 

 colors would expose it to the sharp sight of 

 every foe ; how, then, could they serve to pro- 

 tect it? By reasoning from these considera- 

 tions "Mr. Wallace thought it probable that 

 conspicuously colored caterpillars were pro- 

 tected by having a nauseous taste." But as 

 they are tender, a peck from a bird's beak 

 would be fatal. "Distastefulness alone," said 

 Wallace, "would be insufficient to protect a 

 caterpillar unless some outward sign indicated 

 to its would-be destroyer that its -prey was 

 a disgusting morsel." Darwin presented the 

 reasoning to the Entomological Society, and 

 it was supported by statements of the members, 

 and afterwards verified by Jenner Weir's ex- 

 periments with his birds. The smooth green 

 and twig-like larvae were devoured by the 

 birds; and the spinous and brightly colored 



