8 SYNOPSIS OF PHASMIDjE. 



larva, pupa, and imago, also require some notice ; and the following 

 rules may serve the purpose of effecting this distinction. 



The larva' (or, as Latreille terms them, Podophanera,) are always 

 apterous, much smaller than either pupa or imago, thicker through- 

 out in proportion, of a much lighter colour, and rather brittle in 

 their appearance. 



Thepupce (or Pterophanera) of the Pterophasmata are much more 

 readily known by the appearance of rudimental wings, and by having 

 their tegmina always smaller than the future wings. The latter are 

 invariably spotted, and the nervures are very thick : when arrived 

 at this state, the insects have attained their full size. 



The imago (or Holophanera) of the Pterophasmata is distinguished 

 by the expansion of the wings, which are of various lengths, from 

 hardly covering the first segment of the abdomen, to its entire con- 

 cealment. Some of the females are subapterous even in this stage, 

 in which case the tegmina are always larger than the rudimental 

 wings. 



The apterous species become in this state rather slenderer, and 

 their outer surface is firmer and more durable in texture than in 

 their former stages. 



The extraordinary forms of these insects, rendered still more re- 

 markable by their large size, have given rise to various appellations 

 derived from a supposed resemblance to unearthly beings, such as 

 the devil's horse, spectre, phantom, &c. ; while, on the other hand, 

 others are denominated walking leaves, walking sticks, walking 

 straws, and animated sticks, from the striking similarity which they 

 bear to such vegetable substances. " To such perfection, indeed," 

 say Messrs. Kirby and Spence, " has Nature in them carried her 

 mimetic art, that you would declare, upon beholding some insects, 

 that they had robbed the trees of their leaves to form for themselves 

 artificial wings, so exactly do they resemble them in their form, 

 substance, and vascular structure ; some representing green leaves, 

 and others those that are dry and withered : nay, sometimes this 

 mimicry is so exquisite, that you would mistake the whole insect for 

 a portion of the branching spray of a tree." 



" I have one from Brazil," says one of the same authors, " eight 

 inches long, that, unless it was seen to move, could scarcely be con- 

 ceived to be anything else than a small branch with its spray, the 

 legs as well as tbe head having their little snags and knobs, so that 

 no imitation can be more perfect." 



Not only, indeed, are the perfect insects similar to portions of ve- 

 getables, but even their eggs bear a great resemblance to seeds and 

 their envelopes, insomuch that some of them might at first sight 

 be mistaken for the deeply-ribbed fruits of various umbelliferous 

 plants. 



Mr. Parkinson has given the following account of the abdomen and 

 eggs of Heteropteryx d'datata : " The former," he says, " is termi- 

 nated by a kind of boat-shaped organ, the keel of which possesses a 



