THE PRAYING-MANTIS. 



(June 14, 1890.) 



WE have always considered it matter for regret 

 that hard fate, in the shape of want of room and 

 the necessity for a sunny spot with a southern 

 aspect, should have compelled the Society to build 

 their Insect House in such an extremely out-of- 

 the-way corner of the Gardens as that which it 

 occupies, as from its position comparatively few 

 visitors find their way to it, in spite of the fact 

 that it always contains many very interesting 

 animals. Though it is known as the " Insect 

 House," its inhabitants are not entirely confined to 

 insects, or indeed even to invertebrates, as among 

 them are several birds, and two or three examples 

 of the electric eel of South America. Still, inver- 

 tebrates very largely predominate, and a very good 

 and extremely interesting collection they are. As, 

 indeed, would naturally be expected, the inhabi- 

 tants of this house are at their best during the 

 summer months, and at the present time the house 

 contains several more than usually interesting 

 animals, in addition to the Lepidoptera (butterflies 

 and moths), which alone always well repay a visit. 



