ORTIIOPTERA. MANTIDiE. 427 



habitants of the countries which they inhabit, and who, from a fanciful 

 notion that the insects were engaged in prayer, have given them such 

 names as Prega diou, or Prie-Dieu, as they are called in the South of 

 France and Italy, and Louva Dios by the Portuguese ; and hence 

 the specific names of Mantis religiosa, precaria, sancta, oratoria, 

 &c., have been applied to them. Their attitude, being that of beg- 

 ging, has also induced the application of such names as mendica, 

 pauperata, superstitiosa. The monkish legends tell us that St. 

 Francis Xavier seeing a mantis moving along in its solemn way, 

 holding up its two fore legs as in the act of devotion, desired 

 it to sing the praises of God ; whereupon the insect carolled forth 

 a fine canticle. (/««. Arch. p. 63.) IMouffet, also, informs us that 

 '^ 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 

 show him the right way, and seldom or never misse. As she 

 resembleth those diviners in the elevation of her hands, so also 

 in likenesse of motion ; for they do not sport themselves as others 

 do, nor leap, nor play ; but, walking softly, she retains her modesty, 

 and shows forth a kind of mature gravity." But this gravity has an 

 object of a very different kind to that of the sorcerer. It is thus, after 

 exhibiting a wonderful degree of patience, that, like a cat approach- 

 ing a mouse, the mantis moves almost imperceptibly along, and steals 

 towards its prey, fearful of putting it to flight. When sufficiently near, 

 the fore leg is extended to its full length, and the insect seized, being 

 immediately secured between the tibia and femur, where it is held by 

 the numerous teeth with which those parts are armed. 



These insects are, in fact, very voracious. Rosel (^Insect. Belustig. 

 vol. iv. pi. 12.) kept several for a long time, feeding them upon flies, 

 the female devouring six in a day. When confined together, they fought 

 violently, cutting at each other with their fore legs ; and even the 

 male occasionally fell a victim to the voracity of his partner. In 

 the Journal de Physique, de liozier (1784', t. xxv. p. 331-.), an instance 

 is recorded, in which tlie female first cut oft" the head of her mate, 

 after which coupling took place, which was followed by the female 

 devouring the male. RiJsel observes that, in their mutual conflicts, 

 their manoeuvres very much resemble those of hussars fighting with 



Hottentots as a tutelary divinity ; and, if it happen to alight on any person, he is 

 at once considered as the peculiar favourite of Heaven, and looked up to as a saint. 

 Latreille, also, notices a similar superstition iu Cailliaud's voyage to Nubia. 



