The Colours of A nimals. 1 1 1 



12. And thus, summing up the caterpillars, both 

 of butterflies and moths, out of 88 spiny and 

 hairy species, only one is green,* and even this 

 may not be protectively coloured, since it has 

 conspicuous yellow warts. On the other hand, a 

 very great majority of the black and brown cater- 

 pillars, as well as those more or less marked with 

 blue and red, are either hairy or spiny, or have 

 some special protection. 



13. Here, then, I think we see reasons, for many 

 at any rate, of the variations of colour and markings 

 in caterpillars, which at first sight seem so fan- 

 tastic and inexplicable. I should, however, produce 

 an impression very different from that which I wish 

 to convey, were I to lead you to suppose that all 

 these varieties have been explained, or are under- 

 stood. Far from it ; they still offer a large field 

 for study ; nevertheless, I venture to think the 

 evidence now brought forward, however imper- 

 fectly, is at least sufficient to justify the conclusion 

 that there is not a hair or a line, not a spot or 

 a colour, for which there is not a reason which 

 has not a purpose or a meaning in the economy of 

 nature. 



* L. sybilla. 



