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Show 1900.] INSECTS OF THE " SKEAT EXPEDITION." 843 hour's interval, it was found that the insect had deserted the flowers and was sitting quite still among the leaves at the bottom of the box. Though its attitude was essentially the same as before, its whole appearance was now completely changed ; for it no longer resembled the flowers among which it bad been found except in the most remote degree, but appeared rather to simulate an orchid fallen upon the ground. The brown lines on the upper surface of the abdomen, which had before been concealed among the petals of the flowers, became conspicuous from many points of view, now that the body was seen from above. Converging as they did towards the junction with the thorax, they bore no slight likeness to the " honey-guides" of many orchids. The darker transverse bars seen in the shadow cast by the head and thorax gave an idea of hollowness such as might be expected round the nectaries ; while the abdomen itself represented the labellum, and the limbs the other petals of the orchid. The head and thorax took the place of the stamen and anthers, their resemblance to which was greatly increased by the horn-shaped eyes ; and even the green bar on the thorax had a new part to play, for on not a few orchids there is just such a band at the base of this part of tbe flower. N o change of colour aided the change of appearance. The Mantis remained among the dead leaves for the rest of the day of its capture and for the night w7hich followed, without altering its tint or losing anything of its brilliancy. I do not know of any specific orchid which it may have simulated; orchids of sufficient size and brilliancy of colour are rare, if not unknown, in lower Siam. Early the next morning the Mantis was placed on a packing-case in the open air, near a large branch of the " Rhododendron " fixed upright in a natural position. It deliberately walked towards the branch, swaying its whole body from side to side as it progressed, and commenced to climb one of the twigs. This twig, however, bore only green buds and unripe fruit. When the Mantis reached the tip of the twig and found no flowers, it remained still for a few seconds, and then turned and descended with the same staggering gait. It proceeded to climb another twig. This also bore no flowers. Tbe Mantis descended from it and mounted a third twig, which was topped by a large bunch of full-blown blossoms. To these it clung by means of the claws of the two posterior pairs of limbs. For a few minutes it remained perfectly still, and then began swaying its body from side to side, as it had done while walking. (It was only during this brief interval of rest that I was able to secure a photograph, for in a tropical climate so clamp as that of lower Siam instantaneous photography is never satisfactory. The light, in spite of its apparent intensity, is very feebly actinic, and the moisture of the atmosphere combined with the heat makes it impossible to keep " rapid" plates for any length of time.) While the body of the Mantis was in motion the fine hair-like antennae were also in constant agitation, sometimes being held upright, sometimes stretched out like horns, and sometimes lying back along the thorax. |
