HOW TO KNOW THE INSECTS 



21' 



It was no coincidence. Evening after 

 evening I could find butterflies amongst 

 the grass. Even during the bright sun- 

 hght I frequently saw some of them aUght 

 amongst the grass blades to rest, just as 

 if they knew that the situation offered them 

 protection. 



This instance of protective mimicry in 



of an instinct, inherited from habits of 

 their ancestors, which have served a useful 

 purpose in the development of the race. 



It is probable that every insect 

 possesses some similar hereditary pro- 

 tective devices. Some of these devices 

 are, when observed, very obvious, as in 

 the case of the caterpillars of the Swallow- 



PRIVET HAWK-MOTH RESTING WITH WINGS PARTIALLY EXPANDED. 



connection with this common insect and 

 a familiar garden plant has not. I think, 

 been previously observed, and I offer it 

 to the readers of " The Nature Book " 

 as a novel instance which they may in- 

 vestigate on their own account. It should 

 be remembered, though, that it must be 

 the Green-veined White and not the 

 Small White Butterfly that should be 

 found amongst the ribbon grass. The 

 latter, although it resembles the former, 

 is a distinct species, and its hereditary 

 instincts would be altogether different ; 

 for we have to recognise that the butter- 

 flies do not think out these protective 

 schemes, but that they are the outcome 



tail Moth, with which I dealt in my 

 first paper. In other cases the signifi- 

 cance of the protective mimicry may 

 completely evade us, though it be plainly 

 before the eye. Some of the most hand- 

 some Hawk-Moths while resting openly 

 exhibit mysterious arrangements of colour 

 about their wings which, although con- 

 spicuous enough, yet seem to deceive the 

 eye in such a manner that the insect 

 escapes recognition as such. I referred 

 to this feature when dealing with the 

 Lime Hawk-Moth, and now we may 

 glance at another curious instance in the 

 case of another common Hawk-Moth. 

 In the second illustration is shown the 



