304 
caJmel cricket. 
generally seen in a sitting posture with the two 
fore legs close together, and thus appear as if they 
were praying: this attitude, so well calculated to 
impose upon the eastern devotees, has gained them 
great credit, and they are therefore regarded as 
sacred animals, that ought not to be injured. We 
are gravely told, by the translator of Mouffet, that 
even if a child has lost its way and inquires of the 
mantis, the insect will point out the right path with 
its paw. This intelligence, however, is of a piece 
with his sanctity, and both are equally devoid of 
foundation ; for this most devout of insects is very 
apt to neglect his spiritual for his temporal con- 
cerns, and does not scruple to prey upon any of his 
fellow-creatures that he can manage. Dr. Smith 
was informed of a gentleman who enclosed a male 
and female together in a glass vessel, and found that 
in a short time the female (which is the largest) 
attacked her companion and devoured him entirely, 
beginning at his head. 
They are so far from being peaceably inclined, 
that two of them cannot be brought together with- 
out a battle being the consequence ; and in these 
rencontres they pay no respect to age or sex. 
Roesel, who kept some of these fighting creatures, 
observed that the moment they were in sight of 
each other they tossed up their heads, and bran- 
dishing their fore legs seemed to bid defiance to 
their adversaries. The battle was begun by the 
boldest throwing open his wings, and rushing on 
the other, which was sometimes immediately torn 
