EN 7 THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 
| wings only, whereas the colouring of the surface of the upper. 
pair is sombre in the extreme, usually brown or ashy tints. 
This difference is at once seen to be connected with the different 
habits of the insects, the conspicuous colours being so arranged 
as to be visible during flight, but hidden in repose. On the 
other hand, the beautiful mottlings and spots and delicate. 
shadings that cause so many moths to resemble bark or lichen, 
„Or leaves or twigs, are never developed on those parts of the 
My wings that are hidden during repose. Thus all the Bombryci- 
es g. dae and NoctuidaX, which conceal their hind wings when at rest, 
_* have them quite plain or ornamented with rich orange or crimson 
: hues. One example only will I give the Red Underwing, a large 
— handsome moth measuring from three to four inches from tip to 
tip of the wings. The underwings are striped with broad bands 
of cardinal and black, whereas the upper wings are of a. dirty 
mottled grey, so closely resembling the colour of weather-stained | 
 palings, that I pointed to the insect resting on the fence, and 
from a distance of but a few feet my companion took some 
moments to distinguish it. 
The Geometridae, which rest with their wings spread open, 
and a few of the Bombycidae as have the same habits, are 
mottled and tinted alike on both front and hind wings. 
- These general facts of the distribution of color, are but first 
stages in these disguises, for as we study closer we find that a . 
 marvellous similarity exists between the colorings of the insects - 
and the season at which they appear. So we find in the spring. 
that many of the larva of insects are colored to resemble the 
|... young and tender shoots of plants and trees, whereas those 
. "insects that emerge from the pups in the Autumn are largely 
. colored in various tints of yellow and brown to resemble the 
dead twigs and faded leaves that predominate at this season of 
i the year. ; iid j 
_. The Stick insects, which occasionally grow to a length of 
. upwards of 8 inches, and are exceedingly common all over the 
country, have such perfect disguises that they are practically 
. unknown to 99 persons out of a hundred. They are not only 
- in themselves exact representations of twigs, but seem to have 
_ the strange knowledge that their disguises will be rendered more 
perfect if they vest in certain unnatural positions, and so we find 
. them resting across the grass or foliage, with one leg out on one 
. side, two on the other, and a generally irregular appearance, - 
that makes them so like a stick caught accidentally when falling, 
that I have placed an insect on the hand of a companion, and 
j^ have had a hard job to persuade him that it was not astick pure . 
- and simple. ie SURE FE Ad TACEAM OY 
H. FRANKS AND OO, PRINTERS, GEELONG. 
D 
