The Origin of the Markings of Caterpillars. 333 



followed by a second and third, till the cater- 

 pillar, appearing palatable, would finally be 

 swallowed. 



These experiments were always made in the 

 presence of several persons, in order to guard 

 myself against too subjective an interpretation of 

 the phenomena ; but they all invariably considered 

 the conduct of the birds to be as I have here 

 represented it. 6 



If it be admitted that the ocelli of caterpillars 

 are thus means of exciting terror, the difficulty of 

 their occurring in protectively coloured species at 

 once vanishes. They do not diminish the advan- 

 tage of the adaptive colouring, because they do not 

 make the caterpillars conspicuous, or at least any 

 more easily visible at a distance, excepting when 

 the insects have assumed their attitude of alarm. 

 But these markings are of use when, in spite of 

 protective colouring, the larva is attacked by an 

 enemy. The eye-spots accordingly serve the 

 caterpillar as a second means of defence, which 

 is resorted to when the protective colouring has 

 failed. 



By this it must not be understood that the ocelli 

 of the Chcerocampa larvae invariably possess only 

 this, and no other significance for the life of the 

 insect. Every pattern can be conceived to render 



[Some experiments with the caterpillar of C. Elpenor, con- 

 firming these results, have been made by Lady Verney. See 

 " Good Words," Dec. 1877, p. 838. R.M.] 



