MANTIS. lig 



Europe and is entirely of a beautiful green colour. 

 It is nearly three inches in length, of a slender 

 shape, and in its general sitting posture is observed 

 to hold up the two fore-legs, slightly bent, as if in 

 an attitude of prayer: for this reason the supersti- 

 tion of the vulgar has conferred upon it the repu- 

 tation of a sacred animal, and a popular notion 

 has often prevailed, that a child or traveller having 

 lost his way, would be safely directed by observ- 

 ing the quarter to which the animal pointed when 

 taken into the hand. In its real disposition it is 

 very far from sanctity; preying with great ra- 

 pacity on any of the smaller insects which fall in 

 its way, and for which it lies in wait with anxious 

 assiduity in the posture at first mentioned, seizing 

 them with a sudden spring when within its reach, 

 and devouring them. It is also of a very pugnaci- 

 ous nature, and when kept with others of its own 

 species in a state of captivity, will attack its neigh- 

 bour with the utmost violence, till one or the other 

 is destroyed in the contest. Roesel, who kept 

 some of these insects, observes that in their mutual 

 conflicts their manoeuvres very much resemble 

 those of Huzzars fighting with sabres; and some- 

 times one cleaves the other through at a single 

 stroke, or severs the head from its body. During 

 these engagements the wings are generally ex- 

 panded, and when the battle is over the conqueror 

 devours his antagonist. 



Among the Chinese this quarrelsome property 

 .in the genus Mantis is turned into a similar enter- 



