Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-02-09
The Praying Mantis

Tue manti09 Two SpSG!1 ms OF Wa!cn
have just nsssdded to the irs ct house a.
the z ,o'o gical Gasdeoe) ace noticeable not
only for their structural pscuierties, but
also for the fact that they are living and
walking exponen's of the truth that the
world is governed bg appearances, as from
very ancient tim 8 wherever they aFe fonad
that is throughout The warmer regions Of
the world bev have baen creditsd, with
p!ety, meekrees ard all coed qualities where
as 10 truth they are ihs m:st diood d!hiray
crea ures imag!nab e. rh!s extremely mis-
taken estimate Of their charactes hiss arisaD
from the fsct thst, especially as tiey move
SLOW ab-u ut, the thorsx is raised at az au-
GLE 10 ths Dodg, and the large raprorial legs
are carried extended aud raised thus fan
ciullv Initiating. or rather csricsturing,
person whose bsud4 aye olseped in prayer,
II many paris of the world they stiil
regarded with sCperstiticu5 reverence, and
extraordinary stoyiee are told ct them. For
example, they are believed 10 Oe able to !C-
d!cate coming eVett' wheocs their names CT
'soothsayors" Or phroPhtt', and ir The south
OF Eutcpe the msnIisi supposed to direct any
los: wsyinTer, especially q ohiId. toto the
right wsy. Aoofher legend is to the effec
that "Ss. Frsucis Xeyiar, on seeing ment!S
moving sowly along with his foreiegs raisad
as If in devotion, desired it TO sing tie
praises OF Sod. which 1t Immediately did in
a very beautiful caayials." Again We ere
tod that among the Houentois "tbe ;aGi-
Vidual upon whom one hsppens to alight ts
supposed to have peculiar degree Of sane.
tity im parted 20 HIN, and to be special
favotite OF Heaven" All this reverence Is
sorely misplaced, the whole the creatures
life being spent in murder and rapine; for
being fierce, cfusl, gormsndizlng wretches,
30 far from induleing, as has been fondly
supposed, 10 a state of religious Abstraction,
they are continually seeking what they may
devour." and the very position which hes
given them reputation for sancits is only
assumed to enable them the more readily 10
SO ze any unfortunate insect that may come
within their reach aud they are by no
means particular what that insecs may be,
as they will With the greatest readiness
eeizs and devour one of thslr own species,
particularly If smaller and weaker than
themselves.
It is, therefore. rot surprising that they
are most pugnacious, and Indulge In the
fercest encounters on the least possible pro-
vocation-or. indeed, without any apparen
proVocetion at sll-when their maneuvres
very much reaemble those OF hussars fighting
with sabers, and sometimes one cleaves the
other through at single stroke, or sewers
the head from the body. During these en-
gagements the wings are generally extended
and when the bottle is over the corqueror
devours his antegonis'. TIE performance is.
curious and amusing, the pecuiisr shape and
carrisge of the insects giving them the ap-
pssrance OF denciug With one another. In
China and the East We are told that they
are fought like game-aocks for wagers The
following extract from the work of an Amer
loan authority Gays much for their power of
endurance. "We have seen a female de-
capitated. and with her body partly eaten,
clip away from another that was devouriDg
her, and for over an hour aiterward fight as
tenaciously and with as much nonchalance
ss though nothing had happened" It is,
perhaps needless to say, the character ofthe
mantlde being such as it le, that the two
specimens at the Z>o are not confined 10 the
same case, as, vera they placed together,
the society would 10 oil probability very
shortly possess but one.- Saturday Revie,D