xxvii Proceedings of the South African Philosophical Socvety. 
shape and pink colour—the apparent petals being the flattened legs. 
of the insect. The South African Mantis, Psewdocreobotra ocellata, 
is quite as singular as the Indian Hymenopus bicornis. In the larval 
stage it is pink, and the recurved abdomen, owing to the expansion 
of the folated sides and the presence of a median row of spines, 
produces the illusion of a flower-bud ready to burst. It is in the 
adult stage, however, that the attractive colouration reaches probably 
its highest pomt. The overlapping wing-covers have centrally a 
large, yellow, round patch, partly encircling a round, black patch, 
and encircled in turn by a black band. The arrangement of these 
colours makes the illusion complete. I remember seeing some live 
examples of this Pseudocreobotra sent here en route to London. 
Distinct enough when in the empty cage, they became almost in- 
visible, except for the ocellus, when green vegetation was introduced.. 
Not satisfied, moreover, with this protective resemblance, many, 
if not all, the species of the group have, when on the watch, a swaying 
motion, as of a leaf moved by the breeze. 
In both of these instances the insects are comparatively brightly 
coloured, but there are, in South Africa, especially numerous instances. 
of Mantide adapted to dingy surroundings, and clothed therefore in a 
sober and dingy garb as an aid to aggression, and thus hidden in as. 
effective a manner as the bright kinds just mentioned. In the 
leaf-headed Mantis (Phyllocrama insignis) there is not a part of the 
limb or body, even to the powerful raptorial legs, which is not com- 
pressed, foliated, or banded, so as to resemble the indented parts of a 
dry leaf, withering or partly crumbled; the female of Oxypilus annu- 
latus is not winged as are both sexes in the examples cited above. 
Her colour is grey, verging on drab, or fuscous, and relieved here 
and there by whitish and black patches or specks. She is far from 
uncommon on the sandy parts of the Cape Flats, and, unlike the 
other three Mantid@ mentioned, she is found only on the ground, 
with which she harmonises so well that, even for the entomologist, 
she is extremely difficult to detect, and then only when in motion. 
Popa undata, which closely imitates a dry Tag is also found only 
in dusky grey surroundings. 
It is not yet proven that the browns, greys, yellows, or similar 
hues, undergo a modification in accordance with the variation of the 
tints of the environment, though there is good’ reason to think that 
the greens are affected by the greater or less intensity of ight. It is 
difficult to believe that such protected insects are compelled to remain 
in one locality, as would be their fate were the colours unchangeable. 
That it is not so is to some extent indicated by the variation in the 
colours of different individuals found in different and diverse localities. 
