Walking Leaves And Other Things

Nature's lavr being almost universal so far as the protection oL the weak creatures is conoerned, it is not at all wonderful, pcrhaps, that sho has formed insects int o perfect counterparts of flowers, lenvos, sticks, etc. Someof the "walking leaves," those which are natives of India, China and Japan in particular, arelarge, groteeque looking creatures, their repemblance being strikingly like a btmdle of yellow twiga joined togcther ivith faded, macerated leaves. The limbs of this species of insect are long, slender and very twiglike, the coloring beiiig suited to that particular t-pecies of vegotation upon which the deceptive mimicker subsists. The "walkiug stick," likiv fche walking leaf, is also very deceptive :: ■. faraslooks go. The males have s:;;ill. sl ; . the legs or arms starting froni it just as smaller limbs of a tree or weed star larger ones. The "walking thorn" of Java belongs to this curióos order of insects, as do al-su the "devil's horse" and the mantis. The "walking thorn" looks' exaetly like the large compound spiaoof ourconiuion honey locust tree, even in color and general tour.