A GOLD MINE IN THE WILDERNESS. 213 



enemies would soon learn to detect even such an exact coun- 

 terfeit, and the protective value would be lost. But in the 

 tropics the iniinite variety is the key-note to success in jiro- 

 tective adaptation. On the table-cloth at one time would be 

 perfect green leaves (katydid-like orthopters), green leaves 

 with large worm-eaten defects or spottings (some of the 

 mantises) and many brown, lichencd leaves and twigs 

 (moths and walking sticks). Even if two of the same species 

 appeared at once, tlie chances were that one would be much 

 the larger and of an entirely different shade with a dis- 

 tinct individual pattern of mimic defects. 



Big owl moths {Hyperchiria liberia, H. nausica, Auto- 

 mcria ciiiclislriga and others) alternated with tree-hojjpers 

 of all sizes with branched and rebranched horns rising from 

 their thoraxes (Hcmiptycha [Umbonia] spinosa and others). 

 The prize of one evening was a grasshopjK'r (Plerochroya 

 ocdlata) which came in on the sleeve of the coolie butler. 

 It had alighted on the white cloth as he crossed the yard 

 between the kitchen and the house. Its wide, jagged fore- 

 wings met closely above the back, forming a half green, half 

 brown leaf, complete even to the mid and sifle ribs. On the 

 hind wings were what we could merely guess were either 

 sexual ornaments or warning markings, visible only in flight. 

 The ground color of these translucent wings was a finely 

 mottled yellow and brown, while painted on the pleated sur- 

 face were two eye-spots like those upon the feathers of a 

 Peacock-pheasant, a dark velvety shaded portion with a 

 delicately shaded ocellus at one edge. 



The last insect captured was a tree-hopper as big as a 

 cicada, mottled and marbled on the fore-wings, and stained 

 scarlet on the hinder. 



In Appendix C, pages 397, 398, I have added a list of a 

 few of the moths and Orthoptera collected on the dining 

 table at Hoorie, which have been identified. 



