118 Insects. 



the kindness of the Rev. F. W. Hope, and by means of the collection 

 of the British Museum, I am induced to call the attention of entomo- 

 logists to them. In the time of Linnaeus only one species was known 

 as the Mantis siccifolium, which is figured by Rosel. And it was the 

 general opinion of authors long after that great man's time, that there 

 existed but one species of these remarkable insects, until StoU gave 

 many figures of them, one of which he considered to differ in some 

 points, and gave to it the name of Phasma chlorophylhum. The ge- 

 neral opinion having been thus broken in upon, other species have 

 since been added. M. Serville has named two species in his work on 

 Orthoptera ; and I ventured to increase the number in my * Synopsis 

 of Phasmidae,' by three additional species : while M. Dehaan has de- 

 scribed one and figured two, under what I consider incorrect names. 

 In the present notice of species five new ones are added, thus forming 

 a synopsis of thirteen species of these singular insects, which are easily 

 distinguishable by the marginal form of the abdomen, and of the an- 

 terior femora. 



These extraordinarily formed insects were, at one time, supposed to 

 partake both of insect and vegetable life ; and not only has the perfect 

 insect such similarity to portions of vegetables, but even their eggs 

 might at first sight be mistaken for the deeply ribbed fruits of various 

 umbelliferous plants. The insects are mostly peculiar to the conti- 

 nent of India and its isles. 



Genus. — Phyllium. 



Division a. — No dilation of the outer margin of the anterior femora. 



Phylliicm Geryon. Female : abdomen with the first segment naiTow, 

 but widening to the middle of the third, from thence gradually 

 decreasing to the tip ; thus forming an oblong diamond-shaped 

 abdomen. Length of body 2 inches 3 lines. The form of the 

 anterior femur is shown at fig «, p. 121. PJiyllium siccifolium , 

 nymph, Dehaan, Verd. over de Nat. Gesch. pi. xv. f. 7. 

 Inhabits the Philippine Islands. In the cabinet of Brit. Museum. 



Division b. — The outer dilation of the anterior femora semi-oval and the margin entire. 



Phyllium siccifolitim (L.), Latr. Male and female : abdomen broad- 

 est across the middle of third segment, narrowing gi-adually to- 

 wards the apex of the sixth, and then suddenly to the tip of the 

 body. Femora of the fore legs dilated ; the inner dilation has j 

 the margin inwardly entire and outwardly dilated and rounded ; 



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