// These require manual setting of mons.number to indicate
        // what they are a simulacrum/zombie of, which we currently
        // aren't smart enough to handle.
        || new_mclass == MONS_SIMULACRUM_LARGE
        || new_mclass == MONS_SIMULACRUM_SMALL
        || new_mclass == MONS_ZOMBIE_SMALL
        || new_mclass == MONS_ZOMBIE_LARGE

    char str_polymon[INFO_SIZE] = "";      // cannot use info[] here {dlb}
    bool player_messaged = false;

    std::string str_polymon;

    if(!valid_morph( monster, targetc )) {
        strcat( str_polymon, " looks momentarily different.");
        player_messaged = simple_monster_message( monster, str_polymon );
        return (player_messaged);
    }

    if (!valid_morph( monster, targetc ))
        return simple_monster_message(monster, "looks momentarily different.");

        strcat( str_polymon, " changes into " );

        str_polymon = " changes into ";

        strcat( str_polymon, " degenerates into " );

        str_polymon = " degenerates into ";

        strcat( str_polymon, " evaporates and reforms as " );

        str_polymon = " evaporates and reforms as ";

        strcat( str_polymon, "something you cannot see!" );

        str_polymon += "something you cannot see!";

        strcat( str_polymon, monam( NULL, 250, targetc, true, DESC_NOCAP_A ) );

        str_polymon += monam( NULL, 250, targetc, true, DESC_NOCAP_A );

            strcat( str_polymon, " of flesh" );

            str_polymon += " of flesh";

        strcat( str_polymon, "!" );

        str_polymon += "!";

    player_messaged = simple_monster_message( monster, str_polymon );

    const bool player_messaged = simple_monster_message(monster,
                                                        str_polymon.c_str() );

    int old_hp = monster->hit_points;
    int old_hp_max = monster->max_hit_points;

    const int old_hp = monster->hit_points;
    const int old_hp_max = monster->max_hit_points;