THE PRAYING MANTIS. 291 



of the body harmonizing with that of the surroiinding objects, 

 the intended prey is the less cognizant of its approach. 



Like many other predacious creatures, the Mantis ^^'ill remain 

 motionless for hours, its fore-legs raised over its head, ready to 

 strike at any insect that may come within reach. Tliis attitude 

 has been strangely misconstrued, not only in Europe but in 

 other parts of the world. The attitude, really one of menace, is 

 mistaken for that of prayer, and accordingly one species which 

 inhabits Southern Europe is called the Praying Mantis {Mantis 

 religiosa). This insect is called Pric-Dieu by the French 

 peasants, and Louva Bios by the Portuguese ; while, according 

 to Sparrmann, the Hottentots worship the Mantis as a deity, 

 and hold anyone to be a saint on whom one of these insects 

 may alight. 



Mouffet, in his " Theatre of Insects," evidently inclines to the 

 belief tliat the jNIantis does possess some supernatural power. 

 ''They are called Mantes, 'foretellers,' either because by their 

 coming (for they first of all appear) they do shew the Spring to 

 be at hand, so Anacreon the poet sang ; or else they foretell 

 death and famine, as Coelius the scholiast of Theocritus has 

 observed. Or, lastly, because it alwaies holds up its fore feet 

 like hands, piaying as it were after the manner of their Di- 

 viners, wlio in that gesture did pour out their supplications to 

 their gods. 



" 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 seldom or never misse. Her tail 

 is two-forked, armed With two bristly prickles ; and as she 

 resembleth those Diviners in the elevation of her hands, so 

 also in likeness of motion ; for they do not sport themselves 

 as others do, nor leap^ nor play, but walking softly, she retains 

 her modesty, and shewes forth a kind of mature gravity." 



Tlie insect seems to have taken a singulat hold of the sui:)er- 

 stitious mind, for there is a well-kno^^-n monkish legend that St. 

 Francis Xavier, seeing a Mantis moving slowly forward, with its 

 fore-legs raised, assumed it to be engaged in prayer, and ordered 

 it to sing aloud, whereupon the insect immediately chanted a 

 canticle. 



Slow as is the gait of the JMantis, tlie stroke of the raptorial 

 legs is quick and sliarp, and given with such force that when 

 u 2 



