The Praying-Mantis. 131 



arisen from the fact that, especially as they move 

 slowly about, the thorax is raised, as we have said, 

 at an angle to the body, and the large raptorial 

 legs are carried extended and raised thus fanci- 

 fully imitating, or rather caricaturing, the position 

 of a person whose hands are elapsed in prayer. 

 In many parts of the world they are still regarded 

 with superstitious reverence, and extraordinary 

 stories are told of them for example, they are 

 believed to be able to indicate coming events., 

 whence their names of f ' soothsayers " or " prophets," 

 and in the South of Europe the Praying-mantis is 

 supposed to direct any lost wayfarer, especially a 

 child, into the right way ; as Kondelet puts it : 

 "Puero interroganti de via altero pede extento 

 rectam monstrat, atque rare vel nunquam fallit." 

 Another legend is to the effect that " St. Francis 

 Xavier, on seeing a mantis moving slowly along 

 with its fore-legs raised as if in devotion, desired 

 it to sing the praises of God, which it immediately 

 did in a very beautiful canticle." Again, we are 

 told that among the Hottentots "the individual 

 upon whom one happens to alight is supposed to 

 have a peculiar degree of sanctity imparted to 

 him, and to be a special favourite of heaven." As 

 we before remarked, however, all this reverence is 

 sorely misplaced, the whole of the creature's life 

 being spent in murder and rapine ; for, being 

 <c fierce, cruel, gormandizing wretches, so far from 

 indulging, as has been fondly supposed, in a state 

 of religious abstraction, they are continually ( ' seek- 

 K 2 



