( eva ) 
flea. Hence, these attempts and those of Melichar (1904) 
must be classed under the heading of ‘Museum Mimicry’ ” 
(p. 15). 
Prof. PouLtTon contended that this was a very extraordinary 
criticism, and urged that it was common for more than one 
method of defence to be combined in the same individual. 
It was indeed a well-known characteristic of cryptically 
coloured species to be exceedingly alert when once disturbed : 
the cryptic Acridiidae were obvious examples. In order to 
obtain direct evidence from a keen and accurate observer in 
the field, he had written to Mr. W. A. Lamborn, who had 
carefully studied in the Lagos district the West African species 
of the group. Mr. Lamborn’s reply, dated April 15, 1913, was 
as follows :— 
“In answer to your letter referring to Membracidae I 
certainly think that the shapes and colours of the insects are of 
cryptic value, more especially when oviposition and the moult 
from nymph to imago are proceeding. 
“I believe I am right in saying that in most cases, if not 
in all, the eggs are deposited on old dark cortex with which 
the female harmonises well. Oviposition must take hours : 
I remember having seen a 9 Leptocentrus altifrons, Walk., on 
two consecutive days still adding to the same egg-mass, and 
the ovipositing 9 sits tight over her eggs in an astonishing way. 
I have cut through stems carefully and have thus been able to 
examine one more conveniently without causing her to fly up, 
and I have found by experience that I can always pick off 
such females in my fingers, which it is almost impossible to 
do under ordinary circumstances. 
‘The larvae of all that I know, except L. altifrons, are light 
green and always run up from the brown stem to the softer 
green part directly they are hatched. The larvae of L. altifrons 
are brown, and I have never seen them on green stems. Though 
one frequently finds Membracidae in communities I am dis- 
posed to think that these are composed of one family and 
have all only just emerged from the nymph-case, and that when 
hardened up they tend to scatter. I believe that these com- 
munities are to be found in situations where concealment 
tends to be ensured. The grouped individuals of one species, 
