3o6 camel cricket. 
of them together from the egg state, found it im- 
possible ; for they had hardly come to life before 
they began to brandish their weapons and com- 
mence an attack. Notwithstanding their natural 
ferocity, they became complete cowards when some 
ants were put into the glass vessel in which they 
were confined, and attempted to escape in every 
direction. House-flies, however, they seized with 
avidity, and tore them in pieces with their fore- 
claws. But nothing could long divert them from 
their savage habits ; they soon neglected the flies, 
and wantonly destroyed each other. As a last re- 
source he separated them into small parties, and 
confined them in different glasses: but here the 
same thing occurred ; the combatants never rested 
till the strongest in each community had killed all 
his companions. 
There is a species of this genus of the most sin- 
gular appearance ; The dry leaf mantis (mantis 
siccifolia, Linn. *) is a remarkable instance of the 
provision of nature for the security of the insect 
against the attacks of its enemies. This harmless 
little creature is denied the offensive claws with the 
edge of which the camel cricket so readily chops 
off his adversary’s head ; but it can boast an ad- 
vantage in its figure which more than compensates 
for the want of weapons. Its form is an exact re- 
presentation of a leaf that has fallen from the tree 
* The phasrna siccifolium of Shaw. 
