280 THE BUTTERFLY VIVARIUM. 



leaves themselves that it is difficult to distinguish it. 

 It has no wings in the first stage, while the antennae 

 are invariably in the female form, and the legs like 

 those of a male. The Leaf-insect undergoes three 

 moults. Those reared by Mr. M'Nab were 

 hatched in June, 1854, and did not moult for the 

 first time till ten months afterwards, in April, 1855. 

 It was at first nearly one inch long, and not much 

 larger when it underwent its first moult. It then, 

 however, grew rapidly, and the antennae increased 

 their number of joints just as the joints of the 3£y- 

 riapods increase after each casting of the skin. It 

 was noticed that the insect ate up its cast-off skin — 

 a fact never before noticed in the natural history 

 of insects, though Mr. T. Bell mentions, in his work 

 on British Beptiles, a similar instance in the Toad. 

 The second ecdysis or moult took place on the 

 11th of the following July, after which the wings 

 made their appearance, though very small. The 

 third moult took place on the 17th of September, 

 when full-grown wings and complete antennae were 

 produced. The insects were observed to be very 

 lively the day before the moult, casting their bodies 

 about in a singular manner, as though to loosen 

 the skin. 



After the last moult they increased very rapidly 



