( tod). 
Las DA ‘ TVD rf Ty Seetacy te s Vaa9 
XV. Defeription re the: Phil dilatatum. By Mr. Fobn Parkinfon, 
F.L.S. 
Read Nov. 7, *797- 
. 
HIS fingular animal, which : a pears to be a {pecies hitherto 
undefcribed, is at ‘prefent in the ‘Leverian Mufeum. It is 
fuppofed to be a native of Afia; and belongs to that tribe of infects 
which Stoll has called by the title of Speétres, and which conftitute 
a diftinét genus from that of Mantis. The prefent fpecies ‘meafures 
fix inches and a quarter from the upper part or top of the head to 
the extremity of the abdomen. ‘The whole animal i is of a flattened 
form, more efpecially ‘on the abdomen, ‘which imeafures about an 
inch and a half acrofs in its broadeft part. “The ‘thorax is of an 
obtufely rhomboidal form, the fides floping each way from the 
flattith upper part. The whole thorax is not! only edged with 
{fpines, but has alfo feveral very {harp ones diftantly {cattered over 
its furface. ‘The head rifes up backwards into’ an obtufely conic 
fhape, and has feveral very ftrong and large {pines or proceffes. The 
abdomen is edged, almoft throughout its whole length, with acon- 
tinued feries of {mall fpines, to the number of fivezon the fide. of 
each individual fegment: the extreme fegments are without fpines. 
The thighs, or firft joints of the lower pair of legs, are in this infect 
remarkably ftrong, of a fomewhat triangular fhape, and befet with 
fome 
