Chap. XIL] DKAGON-FLIES. — THE WHITE ANT. 411 



hence the name which they have acquired of " walking- 

 sticks" Like the Phyllium, the Phasma lives exclu- 

 sively on vegetables, and some attain the length of 

 several inches. 



Of all the other tribes of the Orthoptera Ceylon pos- 

 sesses many representatives ; in swarms of cockroaches, 

 grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets. 



Neuroptera, Dragon-flies. — Of the Neuroptera, 

 some of the dragon-flies are pre-eminently beautiful ; 

 one species, with rich brown-coloured spots upon its 

 gauzy wings, is to be seen near every pool. 1 Another 2 , 

 which dances above the mountain streams in Oovah, 

 and amongst the hills descending towards Kandy, gleams 

 in the sun as if each of its green enamelled wings had 

 been sliced from an emerald. 



The Ant-lion. — Of the ant-lion, whose larvae have 

 earned a bad renown from their predaceous ingenuity, 

 Ceylon has, at least, four species, which seem peculiar 

 to the island. 3 This singular creature, preparatory to 

 its pupal transformation, contrives to excavate a conical 

 pitfall in the dust to the depth of about an inch, in the 

 bottom of which it conceals itself, exposing only its 

 open mandibles above the surface ; and here every ant 

 and soft-bodied insect which curiosity tempts to descend, 

 or accident may precipitate into the trap, is ruthlessly 

 seized and devoured by its ambushed inhabitant. 



The White Ant. — But of the insects of this order 

 the most noted are the white ants or termites (which 

 are ants only by a misnomer). They are, unfortunately, 

 at once ubiquitous and innumerable in every spot where 



1 Libellula pulchella. Myrmeleon gravis, Walker; M. 



2 Euphoea splendens. dims, Walker; M. barbarus, 

 8 Palmares contrarius, Walker; Walker. 



