8Z OCCASIONAL PAPERS. 



gauze over its dwelling, hanging with its back down- 

 wards and appeared busily engaged in " cleaning its 

 teeth ; but presently the fly came between its legs 

 and the roof, there was a sharp, sudden movement 

 of the head, and the prey was entangled in the com- 

 plicated jaws of the grasshopper, by the agency of 

 which it was speedily tucked in and devoured. 

 Having once heard of an individual of this species 

 devouring its own leg which had been accidentally 

 knocked off, I put in a few small grasshoppers, to 

 see whether they formed part of its diet. It was not 

 long before one of them ventured within range, and 

 escaped with the loss of a leg. A few minutes after- 

 wards another was caught bodily, and eaten with 

 great relish. I now fed it entirely with living prey, 

 and though I put in both raw and cooked meat, it 

 never again touched either. I also put in a worm, 

 thinking that probably, like a mole cricket I once 

 kept, it would eat it, but it did not. I should think 

 very probably it would do so, though, if hungry. It 

 is not, however, wholly carnivorous, for, as before 

 mentioned, it is fond of the succulent stalks of cab- 

 bage, and possibly of other similar substances. 



It never appeared to hunt its prey, never ran after 

 the flies or sprang on them ; it waited quietly until 

 they came within reach, when it turned its head 

 sharply round and seized them, the legs assisting. 

 It very likely obtains its usual food by lying in wait 

 as it certainly could not capture either flies or grass- 

 hoppers in fair open chase. Its mode of progression 

 appears to be a series of short leaps, on an average 

 twelve to fifteen inches, not nearly so long as those 

 of its smaller relatives, though when jumping from 



