WALKING STICKS AND WALKING-LEAVES. 55 



deeply ridged, and the front is flat, with a slender fusi- 

 form plate on the middle ; in other words, all the ribs 

 are about equi-distant, except two, which are wider apart, 

 and the space between them flatter, so that when the 

 egg falls it rolls over until it comes to this side, and so 

 lies. All except the front is pierced, as it were, with 

 holes, giving the porous aspect of the bark of trees. At 

 the top a tiny conical lid, roughly resembling a Phrygian 

 cap, fits tightly to the mouth. On removing the 

 lid a beautiful white chamber is espied, smooth like 

 porcelain. 



The resemblance to seeds displayed by these eggs 

 extends not alone to appearance and to shedding, but 

 even the minute structure of the capsule bears a close 

 resemblance to vegetable tissue. It has been examined 

 by several entomologists ; and Henneguy, who enters 

 into some detail in his account of the eggs of Phyllium 

 crurifolium, says, ''Almost every botanist, on examining 

 for the first time a section of this capsule, would declare 

 that he is looking at a vegetable preparation." 



The Scramble out of the Egg ; and After. 



We will suppose the young phasma in the egg to have 

 acquired its six legs and to be ready to hatch. In the 

 egg it is packed away in a truly marvellous manner. In 



