The Origin of the Markings of Caterpillars. 317 



its longitudinal stripes deceptively resembling the 

 sharp edges of the stems of this plant. 3 



3. Oblique striping. Can the lilac and white 

 oblique stripes on the sides of a large green 

 caterpillar, such as those of Sphinx Ligustri ; or 

 the red and white, or white, black, and red stripes 

 of Smerinthus Tilicz and Sphinx Drupiferarum 

 respectively, be of any possible use ? Have we 

 not here just one of those cases which clearly 

 prove that such a character is purely morpho- 

 logical, and worthless for the preservation of the 

 individual ? Does not Nature occasionally sport 

 with purposeless forms and colours ; or, as it has 

 often been poetically expressed, does she not here 

 give play to the wealth of her phantasy ? 



At first sight this indeed appears to be the 

 case. We might almost doubt the adaptive 

 importance of the green ground-colour on finding 

 coloured stripes added thereto, and thus as one 

 might suppose abolishing the beneficial action 

 of this ground-colour, by making the insect 

 strikingly conspicuous. But this view would be 

 decidedly incorrect, since oblique stripes are of 



8 [The same applies to Pseudoterpna Cytisaria, also feeding 

 on broom at the same time of the year. The most striking 

 cases of adaptive resemblance brought about by longitudinal 

 stripes are to be found among fir and pine feeders, species 

 belonging to the most diverse families (Hyloicus Pinastri, 

 Trachea Piniperda, Fidonia Piniaria, &c., &c.) all being most 

 admirably concealed among the needle-shaped leaves. R.M.] 



