50 



Bulletin 185. 



indicate that this statement is also true for Kew York, although one 

 egg mass was laid in our cage August 29th and we had joung 



Mantids hatch on May 24th last 

 spring. Thus the insect passes 

 most of its life in the eo^o^ and it 



"&& 



winters in this stage. 



The egg-case, or out/ieca, as it is 

 called, of this praying Mantis is a 



13. — Egg-cases or ootheca of Praying Mantis. Natural size. 



very large, thick, elongate, light-brownish colored mass. Three of 

 these curious eo:o;-cases are shown in fiofure 13 ; the two on the left 

 were found on the side of a house and we fastened them to the 

 branch, while the other on the right was laid on the leaf in one of 

 our cages. Two others, perhaps more typical egg-cases, are shown 

 in figure 14 as they were found by Mr. Atwood in the field. 



Mr. Atwood observed that in one case copulation between the 

 sexes lasted 24 hours and was then broken up by a heavy rain. He 

 did not get a chance to see the eggs laid and we were equally 

 unfortunate. Hosel saw the operation 150 years ago, with a closely 

 allied, if not identical, species and he states that it took the female 

 two hours to complete the task. Sharp says " the eggs of Mantidae 

 are deposited in a singular manner : the female, placing the extrem- 

 ity of the body against a twig or stone, emits some foam-like matter 

 in which the eggs are contained. This substance dries and forms 



