Cockroaches, Locusts, Grasshoppers, and Crickets 131 



plications to their Gods." And he says again: "They resemble the Diviners 

 in the elevation of their hands, so also in likeness of motion; for they do not 

 sport themselves as others do, nor leap, nor play, but walking softly, they 

 retain their modesty, and shewes forth a kind of mature gravity. ... So 

 divine a creature is this esteemed, that if a childe aske the way to such a 

 place, she will stretch out one of her feet, and shew him the right way, and 

 seldome or never misse." Piso in his works states that mantids "change into 

 a green and tender plant, which is of two 

 hands' breadth. The feet are fixed into 

 the ground first ; from these, when neces- 

 sary, humidity is attracted, roots grow out 

 and strike into the ground; thus they 

 change by degrees, and in a short time 

 become a perfect plant." 



Almost everywhere that mantids occur, 

 strange superstitions are held concerning 

 them. Most of these ascribe some degree 

 of sanctity to them, and to kill them 

 maliciously is considered sinful. Cowan 

 says that "the Turks and other Moslems 

 have been much impressed by the actions 

 of the common Mantis religiosa, which 

 greatly resemble some of their own attitudes 

 of prayer. They readily recognize intelli- 

 gence and pious intentions in its actions, 

 and accordingly treat it with respect and 

 attention, not indeed as in itself an object 

 of reverence or superstition, but as a fel- 

 low worshipper of God, whom they believe 

 that all creatures praise with more or less 

 consciousness and intelligence. Other su- 

 perstitions with respect to the Mantis are 

 current: when it kneels it sees an angel 

 in the way, or hears the rustle of its wings ; 

 when it alights on your hand you are about 

 to make the acquaintance of a distin- 

 guished person; if it alights on your head, 



a great honor will shortly be conferred FIG. 164. The walking-stick, Diaphe- 

 upon you. If it injures you in any way, 



romera jemorata. 



which it does but seldom, you will lose a valued friend by calumny. Never 

 kill a Mantis, as it bears charm against evil." Finally, monkish legends 

 teli us, says Slingerland, that St. Francis Xavier, seeing a Mantis moving 



