Tlie Bionomics of South African Insects. 305 



screna at the same time. He was some- 

 what wild at first, paying no attention to 

 them bnt only trying to escape. Eventu- 

 ally he took the achine from my fingers 

 and ate it, and later caught and ate the 

 Acrtva. 

 Sept. 24. Mantis ate a Belcnois severina. 



„ 25. Mantis ate two Acri&a encedon without 



showing any signs of distaste. 

 „ 20. Gave him two A. encedon, but they were not 



eaten. 

 ,, 27. Mantis ate one encedon. 

 „ 28. The second encedon dead. Put in four Far- 

 dopsis punctatissima, but no notice was 

 taken of them. 

 „ 29. Mantis still refused to eat. Two P. j^mctct- 



tissima dead. Put in one A. encedon. 

 „ 80. One more F. jm7icicctissima dead, and the 

 remaining one was three-parts eaten, the 

 encedon being left. 

 Oct. 1. Gave Mantis one F. 2)nnciatissinm and one A. 

 Serena in addition, but he made no attempt 

 to catch any of them, even when they 

 settled quite close, merely feeling towards 

 them with his antennae; if they came 

 too near he only ran away or else drove 

 them off by striking out straight with his 

 fore-legs. The discoloured patch in the 

 left eye made its appearance on this day, 

 and the sight on that side was evidently 

 somewhat impaired. The legs also seemed 

 to be weakening, and the grip of the front 

 pair was not so strong as in normal speci- 

 mens. 

 2. No butterflies eaten, though I tried several 

 times. I think that he may have been 

 preparing for the final change of skin, 

 which would account for his refusal to eat. 

 „ 3. Mantis attempted to perform the final ecdy- 

 sis during the night, but owing to his. bad 

 state of health could not free himself 

 properly from the old skin, being per- 

 manently deformed in a doubled-up 

 TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1902. — PART III. (NOV.) 21 



