The Origin of the Markings of Caterpillars. 311 



certain small moths, such as Tortrix Arbutana 

 and Ponwnana, which live in fruit, and many case- 

 bearing Tineina, are likewise without marking and 

 devoid of bright colour, being generally whitish. 



Many of the small caterpillars which feed ex- 

 teriorly are also so far as my experience extends 

 without definite markings, these being among the 

 most minute, such as the greenish leaf-mining 

 species of Nepticula. It is among the larger 

 species that we first meet with longitudinal and 

 oblique stripes. Eye-spots do not occur in any of 

 these larvae, a circumstance of the greatest impor- 

 tance for the biological significance of this character, 

 as will be shown subsequently. The small size of 

 the caterpillars cannot be the sole cause of the 

 absence of such eye-spots, since in young Smerin- 

 thus caterpillars one centimeter long, the oblique 

 stripes are beautifully developed, and the larvae of 

 many of the smaller moths considerably exceed 

 this size. The surface of these caterpillars there- 

 fore, /.., the field on which markings are displayed, 

 is not absolutely too small for the development of 

 such a character, 



is only secondarily due to the exclusion of light, and depends 

 primarily on the absence of chlorophyll in their food. In con- 

 nection with this I may adduce the fact, that some few species 

 of Nepticula {N. Oxyacanthella, N, Viscerella, &c.) are green, 

 although they live in leaf-galleries where this colour can hardly 

 be of use as a protection ; but their food (hawthorn and elm) 

 contains chlorophyll. See also note 2, p. 293. Further inves- 

 tigations in this direction are much needed. R.M.] 



