138 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



men is a conspicuous dark patch. The limbs have 

 petaloid expansions pink in colour, with, on one edge, 

 a " slightly livid, bruise-like mark, such as one sees on 

 flowers that have been battered by tropical rain." Dr. 

 Annandale further remarks that the " whole surface of 

 the trunk and that of the flattened expansions of the 

 femur of the posterior limbs had that semi-opalescent, 

 semi-crystalline appearance that is caused in flower- 

 petals by a purely structural arrangement of liquid 

 globules or of empty cells." The specimen referred to 

 was found on Melastoma polyanthum, and was first 

 discovered resting on some of the pink flowers, which 

 it matched so closely that its presence was only detected 

 when it moved. It cannot be said that this Mantis 

 imitates with accuracy a flower or part of a flower of 

 the Melastoma, but, owing to the close mimicry in colour 

 and texture this is not of first-rate importance. The 

 green bar at the base of the prothorax divides the 

 insect into two, and as the Mantis is much larger than 

 a Melastoma flower, the protective value of this green 

 bar is obvious, for it gives the effect of two smaller 

 flower-like structures. When the Mantis was placed 

 near a branch of the Melastoma it was seen that it 

 selected as a resting-place a twig bearing flowers, after 

 trying others that bore only leaves or unripe buds. 

 When the Mantis was at rest, several small flies that 

 haunt the Melastoma settled on it, and at a short dis- 

 tance the black spot at the apex of the abdomen 

 appeared very like one of these small flies. The Mantis 

 was indifferent to these little flies, but seized and 

 devoured a large fly that settled quite close to it. 

 When the Mantis left its resting-place and walked 

 about, the abdomen was straightened out, and then the 



