34 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Observations on the Coloration of Insects. By BRUNNER VoN 
Warrenwyt. ‘Translated by Epwarp J. Buss, B.Sc. 
Leipsic: Wilhelm Engelmann. 
TH1s sumptuous folio production, with nine magnificently 
coloured plates, is a distinct challenge to the theory of Natural 
Selection, and being based alone on the coloration of insects, to 
which the author has devoted twenty ‘years of study, the 
argument is much narrowed, and the area of discussion curtailed 
into reasonable dimension and clearly defined. As well observed 
in the Introduction, the consideration of the question is no 
longer as formulated by the old school of naturalists—‘* How is 
man benefited by this phenomenon? The new query which 
takes its place is: What benefit does the particular species derive 
from the phenomena observed in connection with it? Teleology 
has become democratic.” 
The philosophical conception which permeates most biological 
teaching of to-day is that all peculiarities of structure and 
markings are the results of the process of natural selection, by 
which the living creature has survived as the fittest in the 
struggle for existence, and that where the result cannot be 
justified or demonstrated by our theory, the failure is caused by 
our present ignorance of all the reactions of the phenomena 
concerned. Brunner von Wattenwyl is quite outside this plane 
of thought, and considers that there are ‘‘a large number 
of phenomena devoid of benefit, and often, indeed, burdensome, 
to the animals and plants concerned’’; and, further, that ‘‘ this 
fact alone is sufficient to demonstrate that the plan of creation 
does not strive exclusively towards perfecting a species for its 
own sake.” 
The markings and coloration of insects are distinguished 
under nineteen sectional plans, many of which are considered as 
purposeless for the benefit of the species, while contrary evidence 
is not discarded. Thus, section 15 is devoted to “ Changes 
of pattern due to Adaptation,” and section 18 to ‘‘ Coloring in 
relation to Position.” 
From this brief summary it will not be unexpected that the 
author decides that: “‘If one, therefore, calls modification through 
natural selection ‘Darwinism,’ a new name must be introduced for 
the undoubtedly demonstrable occurrence of phenomena in the 
