124 PHASMA. 



common name. The ingenious Mr. Donovan, in 

 his elegant publication entitled " An Epitome of 

 the Insects of China," mentions a specimen nearly 

 thirteen inches in length. In the Leverian Mu- 

 seum exists a very capital specimen, which has 

 been figured in the Naturalist's Miscellany; but 

 the most exquisite representation yet given is in 

 the incomparable work of Stoll. 



The Phasma dllatatum is another extraordinary 

 species, and seems to have been first described 

 in the fourth volume of the Transactions of the 

 Linnaean Society by Mr. John Parkinson. It is 

 preserved in the Leverian Museum. The descrip- 

 tion given in the Linnasan Transactions runs as, 

 follows. 



" This singular animal, which appears to be a 

 species hitherto undescribed, is at present in the 

 Leverian Museum. It is supposed to be a native 

 of Asia, and belongs to that tribe of insects which 

 Stoll has called Spectres, and which constitute a 

 distinct genus from that of Mantis. The present 

 species measures six inches and a quarter from 

 the upper part or top of the head to the extremity 

 of the abdomen. The whole animal is of a flattened 

 form, more especially on the abdomen, which mea- 

 sures about an inch and half across in its broadest 

 part: the thorax is of an obtusely rhomboidal 

 form, the sides sloping each way from the flattish 

 upper part. The whole thorax is not only edged 

 with spines, but has also several very sharp ones 

 distantly scattered over its surface. The head 

 rises up backwards into an obtusely conic shape, 



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