Show SEEK TO TERRIFY ENEMIES insects physically unable bribble to put up IT ight 11 resort to all sorts of schemes holnes Sc it Is generally believed that many animals especially insects assume what Is called a terrifying attitude by means of which they escape their natural en enemies willes in tho the zoological Jahr buch mr arnold japha describes do tho the torl attitude of the hawk eyed moth during lite hie lay day this insect sits with folded wings wines on tho the willow or other tree tho eye spot and tho the roso rose red part of the wings aro are hidden and the moth looks alilce a group of dried byll willow loaves leaves this Is its protective attitude by which it wishes to escape observation wit but if disturbed it immediately ass assumes the tha terrifying attitude the eye eya spot and red are displayed thorax arched abdomen curved u up p this is accompanied by a pro t ru ding and retracting of the front of 0 the body the movement lasts some few seconds or half a minute this Is thought to frighten the moths m the eye spot cipy suggest the eye of some soine larger animal while the energetic motion may give the impression that the enemy itself Is about to be seized and devoured hut but does the moths terrifying attitude really frighten its enemies and allow it to escape girled tried como experiments with a view to settling this point ile he gave specimens of the moth to nightingale redbreast red breast blackcap black cap call and other birds four out ont of five were obviously frightened when 0 the lie moth assumed the terrifying attitude titu ile and left it alone after one trial |