112 PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE 



sible to detect them. One is puzzled to guess where the vital 

 organs can be placed in such dry-looking little sticks. There is 

 one species of mantis also, which, in the shape and colour of its 

 wings, legs, antennae and body, presents as close a resemblance 

 to its environment as do the grasshoppers. Their curious 

 heads, however, which turn round and look at one in quite an 

 uncanny manner, and their formidably serrated fore legs or 

 arms, put up in mock pious fashion, give them a distinctly 

 different appearance from the other insects. In the dry and 

 cooler season on almost every square foot of ground is a large 

 brown caterpillar, often many of them close together, feeding 

 on the young blades of grass. 



But the most handsome insect one sees on the downs is the 

 Valdlanambba or dog-locust. This is large and is gorgeously 

 coloured, the body being barred with stripes of yellow and 

 black, while the head and thorax are green and blue and gold, 

 with shades of crimson, and the wings are bright scarlet. It 

 seems a most desirable insect for a cabinet, but it is impossible 

 to keep one, for it has a most abominable smell, and this appears 

 to be its protection, as well as its probable possession of a 

 nauseous taste, so that no bird or other creature feeds upon it. 

 This insect seems therefore a good example of " warning 

 colours " ; it has no need of " protective resemblance " lest it 

 should be devoured by enemies ; it can flaunt its gay livery 

 without fear, indeed this seems exaggerated in order to say to 

 outsiders, " Hands off ! " " Nemo me impune lacessit" The 

 Malagasy have a proverb which runs thus : " Valdlanambba : 

 ny tompony aza tsy tia azy " i.e. " The dog-locust, even its 

 owner dislikes it." 



On the Imerina downs, and on the outskirts of the forest, there 

 are occasionally seen some enormous earth-worms^ These are 

 about four times the size, both in length and thickness, of those 

 we see in England ; and when I first saw a small group of them 

 they seemed more like small serpents than worms. Darwin's 

 researches on the part played by earth-worms in the renewal 

 of the soil have shown us what a valuable work these humble 

 creatures do for our benefit ; and on a morning after a little 

 rain has fallen the grass here in Imerina is sometimes almost 

 covered by the innumerable little mounds of fresh earth brought 

 up by worms, thus confirming what he has told us about them. 



