THE MANTIS.— THE CHASE 73 



These particular captures are destined to show me just 

 how far the vigour and audacity of the Mantis will lead 

 it. They include the large grey cricket {Pachytylus 

 cinerascens, Fab.), which is larger than the creature which 

 devours it ; the white-faced Decticus, armed with 

 powerful mandibles from which it is wise to guard one's 

 fingers ; the grotesque Truxalis, wearing a pyramidal 

 mitre on its head ; and the Ephippigera of the vineyards, 

 which clashes its cymbals and carries a sabre at the end 

 of its barrel-shaped abdomen. To this assortment of 

 disobliging creatures let us add two horrors : the silky 

 Epeirus, whose disc-shaped scalloped abdomen is as big 

 as a shilling, and the crowned Epeirus, which is horribly 

 hairy and corpulent. 



I cannot doubt that the Mantis attacks such adversaries 

 in a state of nature when I see it, under my wire-gauze 

 covers, boldly give battle to whatever is placed before 

 it. Lying in wait among the bushes it must profit by the 

 prizes bestowed upon it by hazard, as in its cage it 

 profits by the wealth of diet due to my generosity. The 

 hunting of such big game as I offer, which is full of 

 danger, must form part of the creature's usual life, 

 though it may be only an occasional pastime, perhaps 

 to the great regret of the Mantis. 



Crickets of all kinds, butterflies, bees, large flies of many 

 species, and other insects of moderate size : such is the 

 prey that we habitually find in the embrace of the 

 murderous arms of the Mantis. But in my cages I have 

 never known the audacious huntress to recoil before 

 any other insect. Grey cricket, Decticus, Epeirus or 

 Truxalis, sooner or later all are harpooned, held 

 motionless between the saw-edges of the arms, and 



