which are otherwife wanting ; as he confiders every flower in 

 the order of Scitaminea; to confift of three external and three 

 internal laciniae. 



The large petal-like bra&es, placed fingly at every divifion 

 of the fcape, are totally different from any thing to be feen in 

 any known fpecies of Gi.obb a. We ought not however to 

 omit, that this part, as well as the appendix at the apex of the 

 filament, feems to vary in every fpecies. In the figure of 

 racemofdy in Exotic Botany, there is no appearance of any 

 bra&e at all, fo that if there ever are any, they mull fall off 

 before the expanfion of the flowers. 



The leaves of our plant are broad-lance-ihaped, very much 

 elongated at the point, with petioles entirely fheathing the 

 flem. 



At the nurfery of MefTrs. Lee and Kennedy, of Hammer- 

 fmith, where our drawing was taken in June laft, the bloffoms 

 have been fancifully compared to dancing opera girls, the yellow 

 ne&ary making her petticoat, the outer lacinias her blue jacket 

 with tappets, and the filaments with its appendices her arms and 

 neck ; the latter to be fure rather difproportionately long. To 

 us it appears to bear fome rcfemblance to the infe£t called 

 Mantis, whence our name. 



Sent from the Eaft-Indies, by Dr. Roxburgh, in 1808, to 

 Sir Abraham Hume, in whofe ftove at Wormleybury, in 

 Hertfordfhire, it flowered in May laft. Requires the heat of 

 the bark-ftove. Propagated by offsets ? 



