1900.] INSECTS OF THE " SKEAT EXPEDITION." 843 



hours interval, it was found that the insect had deserted the flowers 

 and was sitting quite still among the leaves at the bottom of the box. 

 Though its attitude was essentially the same as before, its whole 

 appearance was now completely changed ; for it no longer resembled 

 the flowers among which it bad been found except in the most remote 

 degree, but appeared rather to simulate an orchid fallen upon the 

 ground. The brown lines on the upper surface of the abdomen, 

 which had before been concealed among the petals of the flowers, 

 became conspicuous from many points of view, now that the bodv 

 was seen from above. Converging as they did towards the 

 junction with the thorax, they bore no slight likeness to the 

 " honey-guides " of many orchids. The darker transverse bars 

 seen in the shadow cast by the head and thorax gave an idea of 

 hollowness such as might be expected round the nectaries ; while 

 the abdomen itself represented the labellum, and the limbs the 

 other petals of the orchid. The head and thorax took the place of 

 the stamen and anthers, their resemblance to which was greatly 

 increased by the horn-shaped eyes ; and even the green bar on the 

 thorax had a new part to play, for on not a few orchids there is 

 just such a band at the base of this part of the flower. Xo change 

 of colour aided the change of appearance. The Mantis remained 

 among the dead leaves for the rest of the day of its capture and 

 for the night which followed, without altering its tint or losing 

 anything of its brilliancy. I do not know of any specific orchid 

 which it may have simulated ; orchids of sufficient size and 

 brilliancy of colour are rare, if not unknown, in lower Siam. 



Early the next morning the Mantis was placed on a packing- 

 case in the open air, near a large branch of the " Ehododendron " 

 fixed upright in a natural position. It deliberately walked towards 

 the branch, swaying its whole body from side to side as it pro- 

 gressed, and commenced to climb one of the twigs. This twig, 

 however, bore only green buds and unripe fruit. When the 

 Mantis reached the tip of the twig and found no flowers, it i-e- 

 mained still for a few seconds, and then turned and descended 

 with the same staggering gait. It proceeded to clinib another 

 twig. This also bore no flowers. The Mantis descended from it 

 and mounted a third twig, which was topped by a large bunch of 

 full-blown blossoms. To these it clung by means of the claws of 

 the two posterior pairs of limbs. For a few minutes it remained 

 perfectly still, and then began swaying its body from side to side, 

 as it had done while walking. (It was only during this brief 

 interval of rest that I was able to secure a photograph, for in a 

 tropical climate so damp as that of lower Siam instantaneous 

 photography is never satisfactory. The light, in spite of its 

 apparent intensity, is very feebly actinic, and the moisture of the 

 atmosphere combined with the heat makes it impossible to keep 

 " rapid" plates for any length of time.) White the body of the 

 Mantis was in motion the fine hair-like antennae were also in con- 

 stant agitation, sometimes being held upright, sometimes stretched 

 out like horns, and sometimes lving back along the thorax. 



