ae 
; allies, the back is furnished with several hairy tussocks or his : 
Fowler: Presidential Address to Lincs. Naturalists’ Union. 43 
but very brightly-coloured under wings, as their names Scarlet 
Underwings or Yellow Underwings imply. I have watched the 
large Scarlet -Underwing (Cavtocala nupia L.) flying among 
willows on the banks of a stream, a flash of scarlet followed by 
a total disappearance, so exactly do the upper wings resemble 
the trunk on which it settles. What, however, is the reason 
of the brilliant scarlet? Probably, as Professor Poulton, who 
has studied the subject very thoroughly, writes to me, its use is 
to draw the attention of an enemy to a non-vital part. This 
appears to be proved by the frequent chipping of the wings at 
their margins ; the bird makes a dash at the most attractive 
F 
Herald Moth (Gonoptera libatrix L.) and the Centre Barred 
Sallow (Cirrhedia xerampelina L.) and its allies, are also pro- 
tected by their close resemblance to dead leaves; others, again, 
like the Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala L.) and the Sharks (Cucudlia) 
when at rest are just like broken pieces of wood or splinters, 
while others again, e.g., Abraxas sylvata Scop., closely resemble 
the droppings of birds from a height on to leaves; and so we 
may carry the question through the whole animal kingdom, 
remembering that environment must always be taken into 
ings that it is scarcely visible to a novice at a comparatively 
Short distance, even though clearly in sight to an expert; 
and as we thus observe we are carried on to further fields. _ 
What animals are better protected by colour than the Rabbit 
and the Hare? Why then has the Rabbit a conspicuous © 
white tail and the Hare black ears? In the Rabbit it is plainly 
a recognition marking for the young ones to follow and so | 
be guided to safety, and it is probably much the same with _ 
the black ears of the Hare, although in this case it is not so 
obvious. 
We have alluded to warning colours, and we find as a rule 
that brightly-coloured larve or reptiles are distasteful to birds, =~ 
lizards, etc. This distastefulness is often heightened by external 
hairs, unpleasant secretions, and warning attitudes. In the 
Hop Dog, the caterpillar of the Pale Tussock Moth (Dasychira 
pudibunda L.), and in some of the Vapourer Moths and their — 
February 1899. 
