TWO STRANGE GRASSHOPPERS 



The head is in keeping with this arsenal. What a 

 queer head it is! A pointed face, with curled mous- 

 taches; large, goggle eyes; between them the blade of a 

 dirk; and on the forehead a mad, unheard-of thing — a 

 sort of tall mitre, an extravagant head-dress that juts 

 forward, spreading right and left into peaked wings. 

 What does the Devilkin want with that monstrous 

 pointed cap, as magnificent as any ever worn by astrol- 

 oger of old? The use of it will appear presently. 



The creature's colouring at this time is commonplace — 

 chiefly grey. As it develops it becomes faintly striped 

 with pale green, white, and pink. 



If you come across this fantastic object in the bramble- 

 bushes, it sways upon its four stilts, it wags its head 

 at you knowingly, it twists its mitre round and peers 

 over its shoulder. You seem to see mischief in its 

 pointed face. But if you try to take hold of it this 

 threatening attitude disappears at once; the raised 

 corselet is lowered, and the creature makes off with 

 mighty strides, helping itself along with its weapons, 

 with which it clutches the twigs. If you have a prac- 

 ticed eye, however, the Empusa is easily caught, and 

 penned in a cage of wire-gauze. 



At first I was uncertain how to feed them. My Devil- 

 kins were very little, a month or two old at most. I gave 

 them Locusts suited to their size, the smallest I 



[123] 



