March 22, 1917] 



NATURE 



voted to birds, snakes, and other reptiles, and 

 contain some excellent illustrations. Some account 



in woods in a truly wild state. Many details are 

 given of the striking coloration of various Mantids, 



Fig. 1. — U pp ci Sadong River at Tabekang. From '• A Naturalist in Borneo." 



is given of the so-called "flying snakes," which, I especially of those which are floral simulators and 

 by rendering the ventral surface concave, are en- i are thus a living trap for butterflies and other 



abled to effect a sort of parachute 



descent from a moderate height. w . -.i't,, ^^^igi?i 



The author assists in dissipating the - ' ^--^-^-'.-^ 



p)opular idea in this country as to 

 the ubiquitous character of poison- 

 ous snakes in the tropics, since 

 these do not, as a. matter of fact, 

 constitute a very large proportion of 

 the snake population, and are sel- 

 dom actually aggressive. An amus- 



mg account is given on p. 77 



of the 



use of a stuffed python as a scare- 

 crow for rats, though this would 

 perhaps be scarcely suitable for 

 adoption in this country. 



The author was primarily an ento- 

 mologist, and it is not surprising 

 that the chapters on insects occupy 

 rather more than one-third of the 

 book. Especial attention is directed 

 to the Orthoptera, more particu- 

 larly the cockroaches, on which he 

 was a recognised authority. It is 

 not generally known that the com- 

 mon cockroach, Blatta orientalis, 

 had invariably been found associated 



with human habitations until it was recorded a few j flower-frequentmg msects. In the chapter on 

 years ago in the Crimea under leaves, stones, etc., I beetles some good figures are given of the remark- 



XO. 2473, VOL. 99] 



k ^ - 



Fig. 2. — The Bornean Lem.ir, ...t ^...o.t., ^ ... 

 From "A Naturalist in Borneo. 



