The Instinct of Feigning Death 20 1 



by their posterior legs and holding the body straight 

 and stiff at an angle to the stem, thus forming a 

 remarkably close resemblance to a short twig. Fre- 

 quently the deceptiveness is increased by a marked 

 similarity in color to that of the branch to which 

 they are attached. 



While in most cases a species has a particular at- 



Fio. 9. A water scorpion, Ranatra, feigning death. 



titude which it maintains when simulating death, 

 there are some forms which feign in whatever pos- 

 ture they may be when disturbed. A good ex- 

 ample of this is afforded by the water-scorpion 

 Ranatra. This insect has the two hinder pairs of 

 legs, which are employed in walking and swimming, 

 very long and slender; the first pair are fitted for 

 grasping the small aquatic animals on which it feeds 

 and are carried straight out in front of the body. 

 It is only necessary to pick one of these insects out 

 of the water to throw it into a stiff, immobile con- 

 dition which usually lasts several minutes and some- 



