THE BAREA STRATAGEM. 147 



hopper, as the insect is called in its perfect state, from its 

 habit of taking long and sudden leaps when alarmed. 



I well remember my delight when, as a child, I set to work 

 at examining these froth-masses, and succeeded in tracing the 

 insect through all its changes. The froth is derived from the 

 sap of the tree, which is sucked through the proboscis, passed 

 through^the digestive organs, and then ejected in a succession 

 of little bubbles. After awhile a little drop of clear liquid is 

 seen to collect at the bottom of the froth, to increase, and then 

 to fall, when another immediately begins to be formed. One 

 species of Cuckoo-spit, which inhabits Madagascar, acts almost 

 like a siphon on the tree, and pours out large quantities of 

 clear water during the hottest part of the day. 



Within this froth-mass the insect lies concealed, and, 

 though utterly helpless, is safe from most of the enemies that 

 would attack it if it were left exposed. 



Beneath the Cuckoo-spit is the common Spider-crab, some- 

 times called the Thornback-crab, from the numerous spines with 

 which its body is covered. Its scientific name is Maia squinado. 



When the Spider-crab attains to a tolerable size, its rough 

 surface forms attachment for various marine beings, chiefly 

 those belonging to the zoophytes. In some cases these 

 zoophytes grow to such a size that the Crab is completely 

 covered by them, and its original shape effectually concealed. 

 When one of these creatures is seen in a living state it pre- 

 sents the curious spectacle of a large bunch of zoophytes and 

 corallines moving about from place to place without any per 

 ceptible limbs, the whole of the surface of the Crab being 

 covered with extraneous growths. 



DISGUISE. 



NEXT comes concealment by means of Disguise. 



On the right hand of the accompanying illustration is shown 

 a singular mode of concealment adopted by the Barea, a 

 warlike and predatorial tribe of Abyssinia. When Mr. Mans- 

 field Parkyns was resident in Abyssinia he fell in with the 

 Barea, through whose country he had to pass. 



" Scarcely had we passed the brook of Mai-Chena when one 

 of our men, a hur.ter, declared that he saw the slaves. Being 

 at that time inexperienced in such matters, I could see nothing 



