The Souih Australian Naturalist 21 



Yet another inmate of my cages is not umvorthy of mention. 

 This is the AVinged Mantis, which has wings that are compara- 

 tively large and are nsed quite often for flight. They are much 

 more active than their large green short-winged relative, 

 making sudden runs and flights about the cage. When startled 

 or confronted by some large insect, the winged mantis suddenly 

 unfurls its wings with a noise like a fan being quickly opened. 

 It stands with its unfurled wings held up well above its back, 

 and must be a really terrifying sight for an unsuspecting insect. 

 Probably this fact is useful in hunting to the mantis. The eyes 

 are more lengthwise on each side of the head, and the mouth 

 less slender than the green mantis, giving it a heavier appear- 

 ance about the head, and the females have a thick, ungraceful 

 body, about two inches long, of a green colour, a purple stripe 

 running along the forepart underneath the forewing. 



NOTES ON STYPHELIA SERRULATA, Labill. 



By Ernest H. Ising. 



Habit. — This plant is a low-spreading undershrub growing 

 in the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is common, and grows, where it 

 is not too wet, very often among stringybarks and tall shrubs. 

 It loves to grow on the edge of a cutting and hang down. On 

 an average, it only attains a height of eight or ten inches, and 

 spreads thickly on the ground. The stems are round and hairy 

 the first season. 



Leaves. — The leaves are short and small, about three- 

 eighths of an inch long and one-sixteenth of an inch, or less, 

 wide. They are narrow, linear pointed, and slightly prickly, 

 and almost sessile ; the very short stalk or petiole is erect, and 

 the leaf is horizontal to the stem. This species has numerous 

 simple hairs all over the crowded leaves ; they are prominent 

 on the margins, where they stand out. The specific name 

 (serrulata) seems to describe this characteristic, for it cannot 

 refer to the margin itself, which is quite plain and not saw- 

 edged. The leaves on top show no veins, but underneath there 

 are four or five prominent veins, with furrows between them. 



Flowers. — The flowers are most inconspicuous, because 

 they are borne on the previous year's stems, beneath the new 

 season's leaves and clustered branches. The flowers are in 

 clusters or bundles, called umbels, of about six on a short stalk 



