12 SYNOPSIS OF PIIASMID.E. 



in this country, in preserving the Libellul'idce, by means of which 

 the colours of the insects would be in a great degree preserved. 

 This operation (which may not be generally known) consists in 

 opening a longitudinal slit on the under surface of the abdomen, and 

 taking out the entrails ; the cavity is then stuffed with soft cotton, 

 and the insect is allowed to dry in an airy situation. If these pre- 

 cautions have not been had recourse to in preserving the specimens, 

 it will be found that the insects, which, when living, were of a 

 bright green, frequently change to different shades of brown ; and I 

 have even observed the abdomen in some specimens to become 

 black. In a dark blackish brown species, I have seen that organ 

 converted into a rust colour. A milky fluid also exudes from the 

 thorax, when the pin is passed through it, which is capable of stain- 

 ing the adjacent parts yellow and other colours. These facts are 

 stated for the purpose of showing that some allowance must be 

 made on this score, if my short descriptions of the shades and co- 

 lours here given do not in all cases exactly coincide with the indi- 

 vidual specimens which may fall under the notice of other entomo- 

 logists. 



It will be perceived that, in forming my table of divisions, I have, 

 like other authors who have written on this group, used only external 

 characters. The cibarian organs of species belonging to distinct 

 divisions bear so great a similarity to each other, that it is impos- 

 sible to make use of them as divisional characters. Like Fabricius, 

 I have commenced with the apterous species, considering them, as 

 it were, the most imperfect ; and from these, by means of a species 

 which possesses wings only, equal in length to the abdomen, we are 

 enabled to proceed to the more perfect ones, which are provided 

 with both tegmina and wings. 



ORTHOPTERA. 



CuRSOitiA, Latr. 



Fam. Phasmidje, Kirby. 

 Gryllus, Linn.' — Mantis, pars, Linn., Gm., Fabr., Oliv. — Spec- 

 trum, Stall, Latr., Lam. — Phasma, Stoll, Licht., Fabr., Latr. — 

 Mantidks. Spectra. Latr. — Difformes ou Anomides, Dumer. — 

 Phasmadae, Guilding. — Phasmina, MacLeay. 



Pedes omnes assimiles, cursorii ; plantula inter unguiculos. 



Sub-fam. I. A ptero phasmina, n. 



Tegmina alaeque in utroque sexu nullae. 



* Antennae thorace longiores. 



A. Pedes breves ; thorax spinosus aut scaber. 



1. Metathorax brevissimus ; pedes spinosi Eurycantka. 



2. longus; Acanthoderus. 



3. ; foliato-compressi, spinosi, 



Cladomorphus. 

 4. ; perfoliati non spinosi, Prisomera. 



