File:Brazil, the Amazons and the coast (1879) (14596677389).jpg

Identifier: brazilamazonscoa00smit (find matches)
Title: Brazil, the Amazons and the coast
Year: 1879 (1870s)
Authors: Smith, Herbert H. (Herbert Huntington), 1851-1919
Subjects: Folklore -- Brazil Brazil -- Description and travel Brazil -- Economic conditions Amazon River Valley -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York : C. Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: Brown University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brown University

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seemsto be the tail. These cases are especially marked among thecylindrical species, Lamiidce, etc. Again, a number of thehandsome longhorn beetles are remarkable for tufts ofhairs, which the different kinds bear on their antennae. Wefind two or three species, however, whose antennae are plain,but there are similar hair-tufts on the hind-legs. Mr. Batesnoticed these forms, and commented on their singularity.It suggests curious reflections, he writes, when we seean ornament like the feather of a grenadiers cap, situated onone part of the body in one species, and on a totally different 2 24 BRAZIL. part in nearly allied ones. The effect of this change in theposition of the ornaments is to invert the insect in appear-ance. The species that have these tufts behind are remark-able for their very long hind-legs ; and these, held straightbehind them, appear very much like antennae. Small moths (Pyralidce, Toitricidce, Tinceidce^ sit onleaves, with their wings folded over their backs. In this
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Longicorn Beetles.* position, many of the species resemble sticks, moss, bird-droppings, etc.; other kinds appear inverted, like the beetles.Certain narrow-winged kinds, when at rest, are very muchlonger than broad ; and some of these have a singular habit *The specimens are represented as somewhat magnified ; they would be morepropeily represented on a log or tree, as they are very rarely seen upon theiground. ZOOLOGICAL GLEANINGS. 22$ of spinning about on the leaf when alarmed, moving the bodyrapidly around the head as a pivot. One genus that has thishabit, is marked by a bright red head ; but one or two ofthe species have the head plain, and red spots on the endsof their wings—i. c, on the ends of their tails as they sit onthe leaf; these species spin about their tails instead of theirheads. All these cases point to one supposition. The insects, forsome reason, derive an advantage from apparent inversionof the two extremities of the body. Now, in collecting, weoften find that the

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