STUDIES IN THE THEORY OF DESCENT, 



H. 



ON THE FINAL CAUSES OF 

 TRANSFORMATION. 



I. 



THE ORIGIN OF THE MARKINGS OF CATERPILLARS. 

 INTRODUCTION. 



THE general idea which has instigated the re- 

 searches described in the present essay has 

 already been expressed in the Preface, where it 

 has also been explained why the markings of 

 caterpillars, and especially those of the Sphinx- 

 larvae, were chosen for testing this idea. 



The task presented itself in the following 

 form : In order to test the idea referred to, it 

 must be investigated whether all the forms of 

 marking which occur in the Sphinx-larvae can or 

 cannot be traced to known transforming factors. 



That natural selection produces a large num- 

 ber of characters can be as little doubted as that 



& M 



