50 



WAYS OF THE SIX-FOOTED 



also, for they are permeated with a race consciousness 

 that the more they flaunt their gay stripes to the world 

 the less likely are they to be attacked by a prudent bird. 

 It is a great advantage to an insect to have the bird 



problem elimi- 

 nated from the 

 start. However, 

 there remains the 

 problem of para- 

 sites and, there- 

 fore, the black 

 whips. When I 

 was a child I dis- 

 turbed a flock of 

 these caterpillars 

 resting together on 

 the lower side of 

 a leaf of milk- 

 weed, and I still re- 

 member the creepy 

 fascination with 

 which I gazed at 



Fig. 26. "Smug-looking caterpillars.' 



the black and yellow ringed creatures and the waving, 

 jerking-whips lashing back and forth to frighten away 

 ichneumons ; if the real ichneumons were as frightened 

 as I was, the caterpillars were surely safe. 



