56 Bulletin 185. 



wings. Wlien it alights on your hand you are about to make the 

 acquaintance of a distinguished person ; if it alights on your head, 

 a great honor will shortly be conferred upon you. If it injures you 

 in any way, which it does but seldom, you will lose a valued friend 

 by calumny. Never kill a Mantis, as it bears charms against evil." 

 Finally, the monkish legends tell us that St. Francis Xavier, 

 seeing a Mantis moving along in its solemn way, holding up its two 

 forelegs as in the act of devotion, desired it to sing the praises of 

 God, whereupon the insect carolled forth a fine canticle ! 



Some Suggestions. 



"While this new addition to the insect fauna of America does not 

 deserve to be revered by us as is apparently done in some parts of 

 the Old World, yet, as it is decidedly an aid to man in his efforts to 

 overcome his insect enemies, it should receive kind treatment, pro- 

 tection and thoughtful consideration. Its food consists almost 

 entirely of other insects, and a large proportion of these are injurious 

 species, like the grasshoppers, flies, etc. It will doubtless never 

 attract much attention as a destroyer of injurious insects, yet it will 

 materially help and thus deserve all the encouragement we can 

 extend to it. 



The curious creatures can often be kept alive in cages for a month 

 or more, if well fed. Teacliers will find a Praying Mantis a very 

 interesting object lesson for JNature-Study, and its beneficial quali- 

 ties should always be strongly emphasized. We would not advise that 

 the child i-en be encouraged to collect them, as the lesson they might 

 learn from their cannibalistic or cruel Avays could easily give them 

 the wrong notion about JS^ature's ways ; and our farmers and fruit- 

 growers need the aid of every Praying Mantis that can possibly 

 safely escape tlie vicissitudes of an insect's life, to help them in their 

 warfare against injurious insects. 



MARK VERNON SLINGERLAND. 



