FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 11 



the line of march. Once or twice we observed large pale-headed 

 fellows sitting on points of vantage, such as leaves, two pairs 

 of legs in air, mandibles widely distended, now and again touch- 

 ing with their rapidly vibrating antennas those of some of the 

 passing ants. They appeared to be giving directions, or 

 at any rate to be making some communication to the side 

 columns which were rejoining the main body. We had pre- 

 viously noted the curious likeness of certain insects to their 

 surroundings and now we found some practical illustrations of 

 the utility of that likeness. The hunters seemed to have very 

 feeble sight and to depend upon finding out what was edible and 

 acceptable through their antenna'. While we were watching the 

 column we thought a fragment of green twig moved, a second 

 glance and we were sure of it, it was one of those curious 

 " stick insects"* — -ChevaJ Bon Dieu, as they are called by the 

 country people here. He was about an inch and a half long 

 and he stood for minutes together motionless and apparently 

 inanimate, but withal well erect on his long legs, in the midst 

 of the passing column. The hunters marched round him, under 

 him, over him even, and he did not move, sometimes one more 

 inquisitive than the others and probably sharper than the common 

 herd, touched him gently with her antennae, or nibbled him with 

 her mandibles, but the cunning " stick," unlike the ancient 

 Roman Senator who rashly struck the Goth when the rude 

 barbarian gently stroked his beard, and so lost his own life and 

 those of his venerable companions — unlike him, the " stick" 

 remained immovable and the curious ant passed on. There 

 were two more creatures within our view, who were equally wise 

 in pursuing this policy of death-like apathy. One was a peculiar 

 looking spiderf something like a little brown ball, with eight 

 abnormally thin and long legs. He stood high above the crowd 

 and when an ant seemed about to seize one of his slender hair 

 like legs he raised it high, but if the ant seized it first he 

 remained as quiet as the " stick" did and waited until it was 

 released. Sometimes the spider had three legs in air at once, 

 but he never attempted to get out of the line of march. The 

 last example, was a tiny beetle, which had tucked his antenme 

 and legs under his elytra and closely resembled the soil on which 

 he rested. Curious to see the result, we dropped an ordinary 

 parasol worker ant| into the midst of the column. The hunters, 

 save one, took no notice of her, but upon that incautious wight 

 the parasol ant fell angrily and avenged the insult severely. We 

 had hitherto watched the steady stream of ants as it came down 



♦Bacillus sp. — belonging to the Phasmidae, 

 fA Phalangidse. 

 JAtta cephalotes 



