The Origin of the Markings of Caterpillars. 315 



and are therefore adapted to living grass. Just 

 as in the case of the Spkingidce also, the brown 

 species conceal themselves by day on the earth, 

 whilst some of the green species have likewise 

 acquired this habit. I have already shown how 

 this habit originates from the increasing size of 

 the growing larva, which would otherwise become 

 too conspicuous, in spite of adaptive colour and 

 marking, A beautiful confirmation of this view is 

 found in the circumstance that only the largest 

 species of Satyr us, such as S. Proserpinus, Her- 

 mione, Phczdrus, &c., possess brown caterpillars. 

 I should not be surprised if a more exact investi- 

 gation of these species, which have hitherto been 

 but seldom observed, revealed in some cases a 

 dimorphism similar to that of the Sphingidcz ; and 

 I believe that I may venture to predict that the 

 young stages of all these brown larvae at present 

 quite unknown are, as in the last-named group, 

 green. 



Besides the Satyrince, most of the larvae of the 

 Pierince and Hesperidce possess longitudinal stripes, 

 which are generally less strongly pronounced than 

 in the former subfamily. Some of the Pierince 

 live on Cruciferce, of which the narrow leaves and 

 thin leaf- and flower-stalks present nothing but a 

 linear arrangement ; other species of this group, 

 however, feed on Leguminosce (Lathyrus, Lotus, 

 Coronilla, Vicia), and some few on broad-leaved 

 bushes (Rhamnus). This last fact may appear to be 



