304 Mr. G. A. K. Marshall on 



close to his mouth, and hu nuimbled at it 

 in the same manner without eating. It 

 therefore seemed evident that his mandi- 

 bles must have been paralyzed in some 

 way, and on examination this proved to 

 be the case, for they could be moved 

 easily with a pin backwards and forwards, 

 the insect clearly having no control over 

 them whatever. The grip of the fore- 

 legs though noticeably weaker than nor- 

 mal was not completely lost, as in the 

 previous experiment with a " Charaxes- 

 eating " Mantis. I am inclined to think 

 that the insect became at last partially 

 blind, both from its actions and from the 

 appearance of a small discoloured patch 

 in the left eye, a symptom which also 

 occurred in the " Charaxes-eating" Mantis. 

 The results of Experiment VI. practically negative the 



supposition that any of the above symptoms might be due 



to insufficient food. 



VI. Experiments on Leab^ Mantis {FIii//locrania 

 insignis, Westwood). 



[One of Mr. Marshall's specimens was compared with 

 the type of the above-named species in the Hope Collection.] 



At the Lower Umkomaas River, during Sej)tember, I 

 kept two specimens of this insect for twelve and fourteen 

 days respectively without a particle of food, and neither 

 their vitality nor activity were in any way impaired at the 

 end of that period. When captured they were in their 

 pupal instar, and the final change took place on the 10th 

 and 7th days respectively, both insects casting their skins 

 in a normal and healthy manner in spite of their long fast. 



VII. Experiments on " Charaxes-eating " Mantis 

 {Polyspilota caffra, Westwood, or very near this species). 



1897. 

 Sept. 23. Caught, at Malvern, Natal, a " Charaxes- 

 eating" Matitis (in the pupal stage), and 

 save him a T. achine and an Acnea 



