ardice, as they had barbarity before; for tlie inftant die Mantes faw the ants they tiied to efcapc in
every diredion. By this Roefel found the ants were the greateft perfeciuors o f die Mantes. He next
gave them fome o f the common mufca (houfe iiies), which they feized with eagernefs in their fore claws,
and tore in pieces: but, though diefe creatures feemed very fond o f the flies, they continued to deftroy one
another dirough favage wantonnefs. Defpairing a t laft, from their daily decreafe, o f rearing any to the
winged ftate, he feparated them into fmall parcels in difterent glaffes; but, here, as before, tlie ftrongeft
o f each community deftroyed the reft.
Another time, he received feveral pair o f Mantes in tlie winged ftate; profiting by his former obfer-
vation, he put each pair [a male and female] into a feparate glafs, but they ftill fliewed ligiis of an eternal
enmity towards one another, which neither fex nor age could foften; for the inflant they were in fight
o f each other, they threw up their heads, brandiihed their fore legs, and waited the attack: they did not
remain long in this pofture, for the boldcft throwing open its wings, with the velocity of lightning, rulhed
a t the other, and often tore it in pieces with the crockets and fpines of the fore claws. Roefel compares
the attack of thefe creatures to that of two huflars; for they dexteroiifly guard and cut w ith the edge o f 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 vanquilhed antagonlft.
W e learn from Roefel alfo, the manner in which this creature takes its prey, in which refpeét we find it
agrees with what is related o f 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 c.itch it.
W hen it has fixed its eyes on an in fed , it very rarely lofes fight of it, though it may coft Ibme hours to
take. I f it fees the infeft a little beyond its reach, over its head, it flowly erefts its long thorax, by means
o f the moveable membranes th at conneft 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 hifeft, it tlirows open the laft
joint, or crocket part, and fnaps it between the fpines, that are fet in rows on the fecond joint. I f it is
unfuccefsful, it does not re traft its arms, but holds them ftretched out, and waits again till the infeft is
within its reach, when it fprings up and feizes it. This is the uncommon pofture before alluded to.
Should the infeft go far from the fpot, it flies, or crawls after it, flowly on the ground like a cat, and when
the infeft flops, erefts itfelf as before. They have a fmall black pupil or fight which moves in all direftions
within tlie parts we ufually term the eyes, fo that it can fee its prey in any direftion without having occafion
to difturb it, by turning its head.
The moft prevalent colour o f this tribe o f infefts is fine green, but many o f thefe fade or become brown
after the infeft dies: fome are finely decorated with a variety o f vivid hues; the moft beautiful of thefe,
that we have feen, arc from the Moluccas.
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