The Mantis: her Hatching 



cessible to the stimulus of a fine day, wakes 

 up before the blunt end, which is larger and 

 does not so soon acquire the necessary- 

 amount of heat. 



Sometimes, however, although still broken 

 up in swarms, the hatching embraces the 

 whole length of the exit-zone. A striking 

 sight indeed is the sudden exodus of a hun- 

 dred young Mantes. Hardly does the tiny 

 I creature show its black eyes under a scale be- 

 fore others appear instantly, in their num- 

 bers. It is as though a certain shock were 

 being communicated from one to another, as 

 though an awakening signal were trans- 

 mitted, so swiftly does the hatching spread 

 all round. Almost in a moment the median 

 band is covered with young Mantes who run 

 about feverishly, stripping themselves of 

 their rent garments. 



The nimble little creatures do not stay long 

 on the nest. They let themselves drop off 

 or else clamber into the nearest foliage. All 

 is over in less than twenty minutes. The 

 common cradle resumes its peaceful condi- 

 tion, prior to furnishing a new legion a few 

 days later; and so on until all the eggs are 

 finished. 



I have witnessed this exodus as often as 



175 



