The Origin of the Markings of Caterpillars. 343 



In those species of Deilephila which conceal 

 themselves by day, the ring-spots cannot be con- 

 sidered as signals of distastefulness, and they 

 must therefore have some other meaning. As 

 examples of this class may be mentioned D. 

 Vespertilio, which is protectively coloured both in 

 the young and in the adult stages ; and likewise 

 D. Hippophaes, in which this habit of concealment 

 is associated with adaptive colouring. In the 

 case of the first-named species, it appears possible 

 that the numerous large ring-spots may serve to 

 alarm small foes, but the truth of this supposition 

 could only be decided by experiment. In D. Hippo- 

 phaes, on the other hand, such an interpretation 

 must be at once rejected, since most individuals 

 possess but a single ring-spot, which shows no 

 resemblance whatever to an eye. 



I long sought in vain for the meaning of this 

 ring-spot, the discovery of which would in this 

 particular case be of the greatest value, because 

 we have here obviously the commencement of the 

 whole development of ring-spots before us the 

 initial stage from which the marking of all the 

 other species of Deilephila has proceeded. 



I believe that I have now found the correct 

 answer to this riddle, but unfortunately at a period 

 of the year when I am unable to prove it 



easily discovered." This was written in 1843, long before 

 natural selection was thought of. 



