Mar., '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 85 



a funny kind of grasshopper ! You must have been too close 

 to that electric light," I thought. In stooping down the 

 "grasshopper" appeared to me to have a strange resemblance 

 to a giraffe, and when I cautiously grabbed for the wings 

 the head was quickly turned around and I received a smart 

 little bite that did not particularly hurt, but which completely 

 took my nerve for the moment. At the same time it aroused 

 my hunting passion to its highest pitch. I fell on my knees, 

 buffeting the fierce little monster with one hand, while I pulled 

 out my handkerchief with the other, and after a great bustle 

 I finally succeeded in getting him securely enveloped. 



When I arose there was a crowd standing around, apparently 

 at a loss to make out what was the matter, but as I walked 

 briskly away and probably appeared sane, no one molested me. 

 I went straight to my hotel and put the captive with hand- 

 kerchief and all in a fruit jar previously loaded for butterfles, 

 and spent the next hour pondering over what kind of an 

 insect I had found. A grasshopper does not turn his neck 

 around and bite, at least not those I have come across, neither 

 does a locust or dragon fly, or anything- in that line. Cautiously 

 opening the handkerchief, out fell a beautiful specimen of 

 praying mantis. Mantis religiosa* which I had seen pictured 

 in books, but never found before. That I was proud of this 

 evening's catch goes without saying, and it is also certain that 

 my anticipation for the future was considerably freshened. I 

 did not succeed, however, in encountering any more such 

 lively prey on the pavements of St. Louis, and I will there- 

 fore leave the "bugs" for the present and relate something of 

 my butterfly hunting expeditions. 



I'.y experience I have learned that a hat is a poor instrument 

 for catching butterflies, and I therefore bought a frame for 

 a landing net in a sporting goods store, and a piece of netting, 

 the name of which I do not know in a dry goods store. 

 Needles and thread have been part of my bachelor equipment 

 for the last quarter of a century, and soon my fly-net was 

 completed. With the assistance of my old German friend I 

 bad made a powerful killing bottle ol a fruit jar that just 



*Stagmo mantis Carolina. Eds. 



