COLOURATION AND FORM ']^ 



tectively coloured in some habitats, and some 

 kinds of Fresli-water fish are followed with extreme 

 difficulty when in their natural element. 



In the great world of Insect Life, perhaps, 

 more than any other examples of protective form 

 and colouration are forthcoming. The eggs, the 

 larvae, the pupae, and the imagines, or perfect 

 insects, of many species, are protected by form 

 and colour in a most remarkable way. 



The larvae match their food-plants very wonder- 

 fully, and many kinds may almost be under one's 

 nose, as it were, and yet escape detection. 



The pupae are hidden away more — some above 

 and others under ground — but even those that are 

 well exposed are mostly only seen by the practised 

 observer. Indeed, it is worth noticing how very 

 few pupae the average wanderer along the country- 

 side locates. 



The perfect insects often harmonise with their 

 surroundings, and the under surface of the wings 

 is so suffused that when a bright-coloured Butter- 

 fly closes its wings, the sudden transformation is, 

 in many instances, quite bewildering. We might 

 go lower down the scale of animal life and mention 

 a number of other animals — especially those which 

 tenant the sea and seashore — which are well pro- 

 vided for in the matter of protective form and 

 colouration, but sufficient has already been written 

 to justify the allotment of this, our present con- 



