152 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. X. 



out of them Roesel perceived the young mantes 

 struggling to come forth. As soon as one had suc- 

 ceeded in freeing itself from the egg, it ran off with 

 the agility of an ant ; the colour, general form, and 

 size of which, it had a no less strict resemblance to, 

 than to its nimbleness. 



Roesel, determining to study their habits, enclosed 

 the young mantes in a glass vessel, but this con- 

 finement appeared to be excessively irksome ; the 

 insects, accordingly, made every attempt to escape 

 from their prison. While the insects ran about 

 the glass, Roesel remarked that they frequently 

 came in contact with each other, and that when this 

 was the case a battle ensued, and the victor, even 

 at their tender age, always devoured its vanquished 

 brother. Although Roesel was aware of the car- 

 niverous propensities of this tribe of insects, he 

 did not imagine that these would be exercised on 

 their own kind; and thinking that so unnatural a 

 proceeding could only have been occasioned by the 

 cravings of hunger, the observer then supplied the 

 imprisoned mantes with ants for food. I had no 

 sooner done so, says Roesel, than I perceived my 

 error ; my young insects fled before the ants like 

 sheep from wolves. The whole community was in 

 great commotion, and I soon saw the ants, which I 

 had intended to be eaten, falling on, killing, and eat- 

 ing the mantes. It was a matter of wonder to me, 

 to remark how quickly the mantes, which had only 

 seen their own kind, know their natural enemies. 

 I afterward learned that ants fall on these insects, 

 even when they are full grown, and speedily kill 

 them. I removed my young mantes, therefore, as 

 soon as possible out of the way of their enemies, 

 and put a dozen into a glass case by themselves, 

 and fed them with flies and plant-lice ; the size of 

 the former frightened them at this stage of their 

 existence ; the latter, however, appeared to be a 

 dainty food for them. Nevertheless, although they 



