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Show 1900.] INSECTS OF THE " SKEAT EXPEDITION." 839 of no great height about 25 miles from the coast; it is the Siamese headquarters of the State. At Biserat we obtained a very large number of specimens, including probably more individuals and species than did the rest of our land collections ; but very few of tbe species were highly specialized. Every sort of environment is to be found near a place like Biserat: swamp, lawn, orchard, open wood, cave, river, and even jungle on the hills, but not jungle of the densest. The auimals in such a locality have no need to adapt themselves to any very limited environment, they can choose w7bat environment they will. In the deep jungle, on the other band, though few animals of any sort are seen on the ground, the fiercest struggle for existence rages among the upper foliage and also in the rotten wood underfoot-though there the termites, as a rule, far outstrip all competitors ; while, even in the clearings, the space and the food-supply is so limited that every animal must make the best use of its natural advantages or else disappear. Though the clearings are of recent formation, due to man, w h o has become no longer a savage, yet the struggle which goes on in them seems already to have led in many cases to extreme modifications in habit and structure. W e can only suppose that this struggle commenced long ago in places such as sand-spits running out into the rivers, where vegetation was necessarily scanty, owing to poverty of soil or constant change of conditions. II. FLOWER-LIKE MANTID^. Hymenopus bicornis (pupa). Colour.-Head : very pale grey, almost white. Eyes of same shade, but with a slightly darker longitudinal stripe running down the centre of each. Leaf-like process between the eyes white, with median vein of pale green. Antennae black. Thorax: prothorax pale pink, with a tendency towards mauve ; shading off posteriorly to white, and finally bounded by a bold transverse bar of deep sage-green. The posterior region of the thorax, which was usually concealed by the upturned abdomen, was pearl-white, as were also the rudimentary wings. Abdomen : ventral surface pale pink. Dorsal surface pale pink, with 5 longitudinal dotted stripes of deep yellow-brown. Near the junction with the thorax were several irregular transverse bars of the same colour, but slightly darker. At the extreme tip of the abdomen, surrounding the anus, was a very conspicuous dark patch, almost black. Limbs: 1st pair pale translucent pink. 2nd and 3rd pairs pink of a deeper shade, with a more marked tendency towards mauve. The distal joints were horn-coloured and almost transparent. At the inner edge of the broad petal-like expansions on the femur of the 2nd and 3rd pairs, more conspicuous on the 3rd than on the 2nd, was a slightly livid, bruise-like mark, such as one sees on flowers that have been battered by tropical rain. The whole surface of the trunk and that of the flattened |