()2 Bulletin de la Société Kntomologiqiic d'Egypte 



legs al)out in Ihe air withoul, however, clinging to 

 anylhing. This phase is dislinct from the fornìer and 

 may he called the second stage. 



After the head, thorax and raptorial legs conies the 

 turn of the other limbs. Fieed Iroin their respeclive 

 shealhs, the median and hind legs remain at llrsl bent 

 under the abdomen. The insect is still suspended to [he 

 muslin l)y the clwas of the cast skin which have not 

 altered their position since the beginning of the moull. 

 The adhesion of the abdomen to the inside of its shealh 

 is suflicient to bear the slight weight of the animal. 



The abdomen is the last part to be set free. Delayed 

 for some lime b\ ."neir foliaceous expansions, the abdo- 

 minal segments come out one after the other from the 

 hind end of the slit which requires no further lengthen- 

 ing. When the abdomen is on the point of being set 

 U-^(\ the median and hind legs are stretched out unlil 

 tiiey come in contaci with the side of the cage to which 

 they immediately cling. Nature has foreseen every 

 thing. The l-]mpusa was never seen to fall (1). 



The moult is now finished, but the insect remains 

 for a few minutes motionless hanging beneath the casi 

 skin. Soon, howevei-, it lakes a few steps and settles 

 down ;i little wav o!V. The moult took half an hour. 



1. We liavc often ol)scrvc(i falls in other species ot 

 M;nili(l:ic and in locusts. This is not usually a serious acci- 

 (icnl, llie insect climbs up tlie side of the cage and rests as 

 if nothing had hai)pencd. When the cast skin beeonies 

 unhooked before Ihc insect is «piile free very serious results 

 may follow as the insect is still suriieicnlly soft to he injured 

 hy tlie tall and is un;\ble to withdraw the limhs from their 

 sheaths. (Translatoi-). 



