258 THE COLOURS OF ANIMALS 



Equally interesting examples are to be found 

 among our British caterpillars. The brown (or occa- 

 sionally green) mature larva of the Large Elephant 

 Hawk Moth (Chcerocampa elpenor) generally hides 

 among the dead brown leaves on the older parts of 

 the stem of its food-plant, the Great Willow-herb 

 (Epilobium hirsutum). In this position it is difficult 

 to see, for it harmonises well with the colour of its 



PIG. 55. The caterpillar of the Large Elephant Hawk Moth (Chcerocampa 

 elpenor) when undisturbed ; full-fed ; natural size (from Weismann). 



surroundings. It possesses an eye like mark on each 

 side of two of the body-rings (the first and second 

 abdominal segments); but these markings do not 

 attract special attention when the animal is undis- 

 turbed. The appearance of the caterpillar is shown 

 in fig. 55. 



As soon, however, as the leaves are rustled by an 

 approaching enemy, the caterpillar swiftly draws its 

 head and the three first body-rings into the two next 

 rings, bearing the eye-like marks. These two rings 

 are thus swollen, and look like the head of the animal, 

 upon which four enormous, terrible-looking eyes are 



