The Descent of Man

at night. (10. See the interesting observations by
T.W. Wood, 'The Student,' Sept. 1868, p. 81.)
The same reason which compels us to believe
that the lower surfaces have here been coloured
for the sake of protection, leads us to deny that
the wings have been tipped with bright orange
for the same purpose, especially when this character
is confined to the males.
Most Moths rest motionless during the whole
or greater part of the day with their wings depressed;
and the whole upper surface is often
shaded and coloured in an admirable manner,
as Mr. Wallace has remarked, for escaping detection.
The front-wings of the Bombycidae and
Noctuidae (11. Mr. Wallace in 'Hardwicke's
Science Gossip,' September 1867, p. 193.), when
at rest, generally overlap and conceal the hindwings;
so that the latter might be brightly coloured
without much risk; and they are in fact
often thus coloured. During flight, moths
would often be able to escape from their ene-