WALKING-LEAP INSECT. 247 



agility, bounding to great distances, and clinging to every 

 object within his reach. 



The only specimen of Phyttium, or Walking-leaf insect, 

 whose habits I have had an opportunity of observing, 

 was given me by the Resident of Anjer, together with 

 some young Guava plants, on the foliage of which it sub- 

 sists. It was very inactive during the day, hanging 

 suspended by its fore-feet to the leaves of the Guava, 

 but on the approach of night, it would walk about with 

 an undulating motion of the body, or hanging suspended, 

 as during the day, would rapidly vibrate its leaf-like 

 wings, in a tremulous manner. On two occasions it 

 took short flights, but soon fell to the ground as if ex- 

 hausted. It feeds voraciously as evening approaches, 

 biting out large semi-circular bits from the edges of the 

 leaves. This insect, which was a female, dropped an egg 

 every night for some time. The egg is in the form of an 

 elongated, pentagonal cylinder, with the angles winged, 

 and, like the eggs of other Phasmida, provided with an 

 operculum at one end. The eggs are white on their first 

 emission from the body of the mother, but afterwards 

 become darker and darker until they eventually assume 

 a brownish-black colour. The ova were retained in the 

 ovipositor sometimes for half a day, as are those of the 

 large Blatta, that common nuisance on board ship. The 

 Phyttium, whose habits are alluded to above, is most 

 probably a new species, and is in the possession of 

 Sir Edward Belcher. 



At Anjer I had an opportunity of examining the 

 animal of a very large and handsome species of Margi- 

 nalia. The Marginella are quicker and more lively in 



