S^. Quintin : Life-History of the Leaf-Insect, 237 



the drops hanging from twigs and fohage. I am satisfied that 

 moisture is as essential as heat to their well-being, as might 

 be expected when the rainfall of their habitat is considered. 



One result of breeding this insect under close observation 

 is that the curious way in which the female deposits her ova 

 was displayed. The ovum, after extrusion, is retained for some 

 moments between the two processes at the end of the abdomen, 

 which may be noticed in the photograph of the adult female, 

 while she bends her body back as far as possible, and suddenly 

 straightens it, releasing the egg at the same time, which is 

 jerked to some distance. In my first brood, some of the females 

 on a bush not enclosed in a cage flung their ova about the small 

 stove-house, and several of the latter were found on a stage 

 across the gangway that runs down the middle of the house, 

 at least four feet away horizontally from the Ilex bush: and more 

 than once, when we have been attending to these insects, we 

 have been struck by an egg which was being expelled. The 

 purpose probably is to secure the better distribution of the 

 offspring. The ovum is curiously like the seed capsule of some 

 plants, those of the mallow family for example, and as it lies 

 on the moss and decaying vegetation of the tropical forest, 

 it doubtless escapes the notice of some of its enemies owing to 

 this resemblance. The young larva in the act of hatching 

 pushes out a kind of stopper, which projects like the broken 

 stalk of the simulated seed-capsule, and climbs about its 

 cage, showing much more agility than at any later stage of its 

 life. If alarmed, the young larva moves off with a curious 

 swinging action of its body (as does the young mantis, and the 

 young stick insect {Bacillus) its near relatives). This may 

 perhaps be intended as a menace. At this early age the larva, 

 of P. crurifolium is yellow, mottled and splashed with pink. 

 After a day or two it settles down on a leaf, and assumes a pale 

 green colour. As this does not seem to be the case, so far as I 

 can see, until it commences to feed, it is probably directly due 

 to the chlorophyl absorbed. 



At about the third stage the sexes begin to be distinguish- 

 able, the flat processes on the forelimbs of the male being less 

 extensive than in the female larva, while the breadth of the 

 abdominal segments is less, and the antennae at successive 

 stages become more and more prolonged, until, in the adult 

 male, they measure about 28 mm., those of the female adult being 

 no more than 3 mm. in length. 



1908 July I. 



