The Mantis is a species of cricket, and belongs to the Hemiptetera, or
second order of insects. Blumenbach[1] enumerates four varieties:--1.
the Gigantic, from Amboyna, a span long, yet scarce as thick as a
goose-quill, and eaten by the Indians. 2. Gonglyodes, from Guinea. 3.
the Religious Mantis, or Praying Cricket. 4. Another at the Cape, and
considered sacred by the Hottentots. The cut represents the third of
these varieties.
[1] Manual, translated by Gore.
It mostly goes on four legs, holding up two shorter ones. The hind legs
are very long; the middle ones shorter. It is sometimes called the
_Dried and Walking Leaf_, from the resemblance of its wing covering, in
form and colour to a dry willow leaf; it is found in China and South
America, and in the latter country many of the Indians believe that
Mantes grow on trees like leaves, and that having arrived at maturity,
they loosen themselves, and crawl or fly away.
Mr. T. Carpenter[2] has recently dissected the head of this species, in
which he found large and sharp cutting teeth; also strong grinding ones,
similar to those in the heads of locusts: the balls at the ends fit into
sockets in the jaw. The whole length of the insect is nearly three
inches; it is of slender shape, and in its sitting posture is observed
to hold up the two fore-legs slightly bent, as if in an attitude of
prayer, whence its name; for this reason vulgar superstition has held it
as a sacred insect; and a popular notion has often prevailed, that a
child, or a traveller having lost its way, would be safely directed, by
observing the quarter to which the animal pointed, when taken into the
hand.
[2] Gill's Technological Repository, vol. iv. p. 208.
Its real disposition is, however, very far from peaceable: it preys with
great rapacity on smaller insects, for which it lies in wait, in the
first mentioned posture, till it siezes them with a sudden spring, and
devours them. It is, in fact, of a very ferocious nature; and when kept
with another of its own species, in a state of captivity, will attack
its fellow with the utmost violence, and persevere till it has killed
its antagonist. Roësal, a naturalist, who kept some of these insects,
observes, that in their mutual conflicts, their manoeuvres very much
resemble those of hussars fighting with sabres; and sometimes the one
cleaves the other through, or severs the head from its body with a
single stroke. During these engagements the wings are generally
expanded, and when the battle is over, the conqueror devours his
vanquished foe.
Among the Chinese, this quarrelsome disposition in the Mantis, is
converted to an entertainment, resembling that of fighting-cocks and
quails: and it is to this insect that we suppose the following passage
in Mr. Barrow's _Account of China_, alludes:--"They have even extended
their inquiries after fighting animals into the insect tribes, and have
discovered a species of locusts that will attack each other with such
ferocity, as seldom to quit their hold without bringing away at the same
time a limb of their antagonist. These little creatures are fed and kept
apart in bamboo cages; and the custom of making them devour each other
is so common, that during the summer months, scarcely a boy is to be
seen without his cage of locusts."[3]
[3] Travels in China.
The country people in many parts of the continent, look upon the
religious Mantis as a divine insect, and would not on any account injure
it. Dr. Smith, however, informs us, that he received an account of this
Mantis, that seemed to savour little indeed of divinity. A gentleman
caught a male and female, and put them together in a glass vessel. The
female, which in this, as in most other insects, is the largest, after a
while, devoured, first the head and upper parts of her companion, and
afterwards the remainder of the body.[4] Roësel, wishing to observe the
gradual progress of these creatures to the winged state, placed the bag
containing the eggs in a large enclosed glass. From the time they were
hatched they were very savage. He put various plants into the glass, but
they refused them, in order to prey upon each other. He next tried
insect food, and put several ants into the glass to them, but they then
betrayed as much cowardice as they had before done of barbarity; for the
instant the Mantes saw the ants, they attempted to escape in every
direction. He next gave them some common house flies, which they seized
with eagerness in their fore claws, and tore in pieces; notwithstanding
this apparent fondness for flies, they continued to destroy each other.
Despairing at last, from their daily decrease, of rearing any to the
winged state, he separated them into small numbers, in different
glasses; but here, as before, the strongest of each community destroyed
the rest. He afterwards received several pair of Mantes in the winged
state, which he separated, a male and female together, into different
glasses; but they still showed a rooted enmity towards each other, which
neither age nor sex could mitigate. The instant they came in sight of
each other, they threw up their heads, brandished their fore-legs, and
each waited the attack. They did not, however, long remain in this
posture; for the boldest throwing open his wings with the velocity of
lightning, rushed at the other, and often tore it in pieces.
[4] Tour on the Continent.
The last mentioned species is the supposed idol of the Hottentots; the
person on whom the adored insect happens to light, being considered as
favoured by the distinction of a celestial visitant, and regarded ever
after as a saint.
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