THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZIiNE OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



[THIRD SERIES.] 

 No. 106. OCTOBER 1866. 



XXXIV. — On the Habits of the Prisopi. 

 By Andrew Murray, F.L.S. 



The few entomologists who have studied the Phasmidse (" leaf- 

 insects" and '' walking-sticks ") are familiar with the remarkable 

 form and organization of the Prisopi-, but, although that genus 

 has occupied the attention of such acute entomologists as Stoll, 

 Burmeister, and Blanchard, and more recently been monographed 

 and its structure figured by that prince of entomological draughts- 

 men, Westwood, no suggestion has ever been made or explana- 

 tion oflFered of the purpose and meaning of their singular 

 organization. 



It is not long since I obtained satisfactory information on this 

 point from my friend Mr. Alexander Fry ; and as he is too much 

 occupied at present to publish it himself, and I think it too in- 

 teresting to be kept back, I, with his permission, send you this 

 account of what he knows on the subject. 



It only relates to the species named Prisopus flabelliformis, a 

 specimen of which he had obtained while in Brazil ; but as all 

 the species are characterized by the same peculiarities of struc- 

 ture, the habits of one will doubtless be the habits of all. 



I may premise that Mr. Fry has the fullest confidence in the 

 veracity of the person from whom he received the information, 

 who moreover had no temptation to deceive him, and was, be- 

 sides, too little acquainted with entomology to know that he was 

 solving an entomological puzzle. The habits which he ascribes 

 to the Prisopus, too, are not such as would readily occur to a 

 romancer to endow a flying insect with, although, as it turns 

 out, the structure is so admirably adapted to the purpose ex- 

 plained by him that it seems a wonder that the very perfection 

 of its adaptation did not suggest to entomologists what the 

 purpose was. 



According to this observer, then, the insect was obtained by 



Ann,^ Mag, N, Hist, Ser.3, Fb/.xviii. 19 



