bands, lines, etc.—in such a way as can alone account for their being there to see—as well as we do, that is to say—then it is absurd to imagine that they have no perception of form. On what is this assertion based? Mr. Scudder relies on the following facts: “Christy,” he tells us, “observed in Manitoba one of the swallow-tails fluttering over the bushes, evidently in search of flowers. As he watched it, it settled momentarily, and exactly as if it had mistaken it for a yellow flower, on a twig of _Betula glandulosa_, bearing withered leaves of a bright yellow colour.”[122] But might not the association of ideas raised by a familiar colour in an insect’s mind overpower for a moment its judgment? Might it not do so in the case of a man also? And should we think a person very stupid who, for a moment, mistaking a yellow leaf for a yellow flower, stretched out his hand to pick it? Pooh! once again,[123] let us think of people who do foolish things—kings, generals, cabinet ministers, servant-maids, etc.—not of infallible persons. We should not be too severe—not “break a butterfly on a wheel.” Again—this is Mr. Scudder’s second instance: “Albert Müller records seeing the blue Alexis of Europe fly towards a very small bit of pale blue paper lying upon the grass, and stop within an inch or two of it, as if to settle, doubtless mistaking it for another of its own kind.”[124] Surely this is rather in favour of the butterfly’s sight than otherwise, since it discovered its mistake and did not settle. Who, too, can tell the precise moment at which the mistake was discovered, since the piece of blue paper might have puzzled the butterfly—piqued its curiosity to know what it was—even after it knew what it was not? Thirdly, “Plateau has observed the small tortoise-shell butterfly fly rapidly towards a cluster of artificial flowers.”[124] And who cannot be taken in by artificial flowers? “Such examples as these,” says Mr. Scudder, “seem to indicate that butterflies may perceive colour in mass, but in no case indicate any further visual powers.”[124] To me they indicate that butterflies can make mistakes. Mistakes rarely show one’s perfections, but other indications of further visual powers are not wanting. For instance, Mr. Scudder himself says: “One of my favourite modes of showing this characteristic (inquisitiveness) to unbelieving friends has been to toss my cap high in the air, when these butterflies will often dart, dash at, and play around it as it begins again to descend.”[124] How do they play around this moving object in the air if it represents to them only “colour in mass,” and not a defined shape and outline? Were it otherwise, they would fly right into it, and be carried down with it sometimes on top of them. But if they see all parts of the colour so that they can nicely avoid it, and sport about its periphery, then they see the shape of the cap. Then, again, Mr. Scudder tells us: