358 



Marvels of the Universe 



caterpillars of several of the 

 Hawk moths, though they 

 may be as thick as one's 

 finger, are so marked with 

 diagonal stripes of white 

 and violet that in some 

 cases these look hke the 

 light reflected from the 

 edges of leaves, or nerve 

 branches on a curled-up 

 leaf. 



In the case of most of 

 the Looper caterpillars al- 

 ready referred to, the general 

 form and habit is to re- 

 semble a twig, the cater- 

 pillar holding only by its 

 hind claspers, standing 

 rigidly at an angle corre- 

 sponding to that of the real 

 twig. Examples will be 



seen in the caterpillar of the Swallow-tailed moth on an ivy stem and in that of the Willow Beauty 



moth on the rose, as shown on page 353. 



These few examples could be multiplied ad libitum, but for the present sufficient has been said to 



call attention to very remarkable phenomena that exist, here, under our eyes. The reader, if he 



will keep his eyes open upon his daily walks, even between home and the railway station will find 



further illustrations upon the familiar walls and fences. 



Vhuluba} 



[E. Ulep, F.L.S. 



THE GRE^' DAGGER MOTH ON A FENCE. 



Most frequently this moth would be found on a tree trunii where its dagger 

 marks would fit in with the craclis in the bark. 



Photo 60] 



This , 

 semblance 

 of persons 



[/::. Step, F.L.S, 

 THE MARBLED GREEN MOTH. 



loth rests on exposed lichen-covered walls and rocks. So close is its re- 

 to its surroundings that the specimens photographed were passed by hundreds 

 without being seen. 



BIG SNAILS 



BY LIONEL E. .VDAMS, B.A. 



There are people who re- 

 gard snails as noxious ob- 

 jects to be collected in a 

 fiower-pot and stealthily 

 heaved into the next garden, 

 or else crushed beneath the 

 foot. If our British snails 

 attained the size of the 

 great tropical Agate Snails, 

 the former method of I'id- 

 dance would be dangerous 

 and likely to lead to a 

 breach of the peace, and 

 the second method too 

 horrible to contemplate ! If, 

 however, the not unnatural 

 antipathy to slime can be 

 overcome, these handsome 



