AETICULATA. 



THE LEAF-INSECT. 



(June 1, 1889.) 



AT the last meeting of the Zoological Society for 

 scientific business, Mr. Sclater called attention to 

 a specimen of a leaf-insect, living in the Society's 

 Insect-house, which had been received from the 

 Seychelles, and presented by Lord Walsingham. 

 He described it as not quite fully developed, but 

 believed it to be referable to Phi/Ilium gellonus, 

 Gray. This is an extremely interesting addition 

 to the Society's collection, and will doubtless, 

 as its presence becomes known, induce many 

 persons to pay a visit to the Insect-house. 



The leaf-insects, of which but few species are 

 known, belong to the same family (Phasimidae) as 

 the stick-insects, and both are marvellous illustra- 

 tions of mimicry in nature. They are all of them 

 nocturnal in their habits, and spend their days 

 resting on trees and bushes, the leaves of which 

 form their food, and their resemblance respec- 

 tively to the leaves and twigs is so extraordinary 



