

























HEMIPTERA. 
afdice, as they had barbarity before; for the inftant the Mantes faw the ants they tried to efcape in 
every direGtion. By this Roefel found the ants were the greateft perfecutors of the Mantes. He next 
gave them fome of the common mufca (honfe flies), which they feized with eagernefs in their fore claws, 
and tore in pieces: but, though thefe creatures feemed very fond of the flies, they continued to deftroy one 
another through favage wantonnefs. Defpairing at laft, from their daily decreafe, of rearing any to the 
winged ftate, he feparated them into fmall parcels in different glafles; but, here, as before, the firongeft 
of each community deftroyed the reft. 
Another time, he received feveral pair of Mantes in the winged ftate; profiting by his former obfer- 
vation, he put each pair [a male and female] into a feparate glafs, but they ftill fhewed figns of an eternal 
enmity towards one another, which neither fex nor age could foften; for the inftant they were in fight 
of each other, they threw up their heads, brandifhed their fore legs, and waited the attack: they did not 
remain long in this pofture, for the boldeft throwing open its wings, with the velocity of lightning, rufhed 
at the other, and often tore it in pieces with the crockets and {pines of the fore claws. Roefel compares 
the attack of thefe creatures to that of two huffars; for they dexteroufly guard and cut with the edge of the 
fore claws, as thofe foldiers do with their fabres, and fometimes at a ftroke, one cleaves the other through, 
or fevers its head from the thorax. After this the conqueror devours his vanquithed antagonift. 
We learn from Roefel alfo, the manner in which this creature takes its prey, in which refpect we find it 
agrees with what is related of the extra European fpecies. ‘The patience of this Mantis is remarkable, and 
the pofture to which fuperftition has attributed devotion, is no other, than the means it ufes to catch it, 
When it has fixed its eyes on an infect, it very rarely lofes fight of it, though it may coft fome hours to 
take. If it fees the infect a little beyond its reach, over its head, it flowly ereéts its long thorax, by means 
of the moveable membranes that conneét it to the body at the bafe; then, refting on the four pofterior legs, 
it gradually raifes the anterior pair alfo; if this brings it near enough to the infeét, it throws open the laft 
joint, or crocket part, and fnaps it between the fpines, that are fet in rows on the fecond joint. If it is 
unfuccefsful, it does not retra€t its arms, but holds them ftretched out, and waits again till the infe& is 
within its reach, when it fprings up and feizes it. ‘This is the uncommon pofture before alluded to. 
Should the infe& go far from the fpot, it flies, or crawls after it, lowly on the ground like a cat, and when 
the infect ftops, erets itfelf as before. They have a {mall black pupil or fight which moves in all directions 
within the parts we ufually term the eyes, fo that it can fee its prey in any direCtion without having occafion 
to difturb it, by turning its head. 
The moft prevalent colour of this tribe of infects is fine green, but many of thefe fade or become brown 
after the infe& dies: fome are finely decorated with a variety of vivid hues; the moft beautiful of thefe, 
that we have feen, are from the Moluccas. 
