i65 



also in many of the elevated and wetter plantations. It is scarce 

 in the dry and irrigated cane areas. Its predatory habits on 

 leaf-hopper have been observed by several people. Young hop- 

 pers are seized and devoured without the aid of the forceps, but 

 these organs fretjucntly assist in holding an adult hopper whilst 

 it is eaten at leisure. An examination of numerous crops in- 

 variably revealed only insect remains, often entirely leaf-liop- 

 ])er. Those bred in captivity showed during all instars a mark- 

 ed preference for insect diet. 



(2) The abdominal jilates. 



The much-discussed fused dorsal, and missing ventral ab- 

 dominal plates, are well represented in the female of this species 

 'Ihe (presumably) 8th and 9th tergites are very narrow (still 

 more so in Aiiisolabis aiinulipcs) and fused on to the large loth. 

 The (presumably) 8th and 9th sternites are much reduced ; the 

 8th is almost entirely membranous except for the anterior chi- 

 tinized angles ; the 9th still remains chitinized laterally, these 

 areas forming thin laminae ; the loth consists of a pair of strong- 

 ly chitinized plates, each with an inner articulation to permit 

 defaecation. In Aiiisolabis anmdipes these ventral plates (except 

 tile loth) appear to have entirely disappeared (PI. IX, fig. 5.) 



In the male Chclisochcs, only the loth sternite is discernable, 

 represented by a pair of strongly chitinized plates. There ap- 

 pears to be no trace of the 8th and 9th sternites the whole mem- 

 liranous area being extremely delicate. The 8th and 9th tei- 

 gites are normally developed and not fused. PI. IX, fig. 6. 



There is still one sternite to be accounted for in both sexes 

 (presumably the ist). No trace of its early fusion with the me- 

 lastermmi could ])e found. 



(3) The development of the antennal joints. 



The increase of the antennal joints at each instar appears to 

 be perfectly constant, since large numbers in all stages were 

 examined. The additions at each ecdysis arise from the seg- 

 mentation of joint 3. Upon hatching the antenna consists of 

 eight ijoints ; at the first ecdvsis this number is increased to 

 twelve, the additional four arising from joint 3, thus the 4th 

 joint becomes the 8th. At the second ecdysis the additional 



