Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-08-05

many Of them in addition have the vein
ings OF their wings modified 30 as exactly
to initiate that of leaf This is carried
to the ftirthest possible extent In the won
derful genus, the Phyllium, the walking
Leaf in which not only are the Wings
perfect limitations of leaves In every de-
tail, but the thorax and legs are fiat, di-
lated, and leaflike 30 that when the liv-
ing insect is resting among the foliage on
which 1t feeds, tho closest observation is
often unable TO distinguish between the
animal and the vegetable.
1.-THE whole family Of the Phasmidm,
or spectres, to which this insect belongs,
Is more or less initiative, and great mum.
Der of the species are called walking.
stick insects from their singular resem.
blance to twigs and branches. Some of
these are q foot long and as thick as ones
finger, and their whole coloring, form,
rugosity, and the arrangement of the
mead, legs, and antennm, are such as to
render them absolutely identical in ap.
pearance with dead sticks They hang
loosely about shrubs in the forest, and
have the extraordinary habitof stretching
out their legs unsymmetrioally, so as to
render the deception more complete One
OF these creatures obtained by myself in
Borneo was covered over with foliaceous
excresences of clear olive.g green color,
so as exactly to resemble a stick grown
over by creeping moss or jungermannia.
The Dyak who brought IL to me assured
me 1t was grown over with moss although
alive, aud 1t was only after minute OK
animation that / could convince myself 1t
was not 30.
desert animals rs rule are desert
colored. The lion Is typical example of
hn oil sVx Mo ylaf,
cTouched upon the sand or among desert
rocks and stones. Antelopes are all more
or less sandy-colored. The camel is pre-.
eminently so. The Egyptian cat and the
Pampas cat are sandy or earth coloTed
The Australian kangaroOs are OF the same
tints,aDd the original color of the wild horse
is supposed TO have been sandy or clay
| color. The desert birds are still more re-
markably protected by their aseimilative
| hues. The stonechats the larks, the quails,
the goatsuckers and the grouse, which
abound in the North. African and Asiatic
deserts, are all tinted and mottled so as to
resemble with wonderful accuracy the
average color. and the aspect Of the soil
in the district they iAhabit. The Rev.
Ii. Tristram says; "In the desert, where
neither trees, brushwood, nor even undu-
lation of the surface afford the slightest
protection, q modification of color which
shall be assimilated to that of the sur
rounding country, is absolutely necessary.
Hence, without exception the upper
plumage of every bird, whether lark, chat,
| SYLVAN, or sandgrouse, and also the fur of
all the smaller mammals, and the skins Of
all the snakes and lizards, is Of one uni
form isabelline or sand COLOR"
Among birds, the ptarmigan is a fine
example of protective coloring Its sum.
mer plumage so exactly harmonizes with
the lichen.colored stones among which it
delights to sit, that person may walk
through flock of them without seeing q
single bird; while in winter its white
plumage ia an almost equal protection
HcerN Saturday.