The record-union., 1896-12-01
A GAME INSECT.
An Amusing Pet That Will Fight to the
Death.
Natives of China Pit Them Against
Each Other and Wager Their
All on FavOrite.


of a tree almost denuded of leaves.
Those which were still clinging to 1t
were dried and shriveled. 1 looked earn
estly, following up the twigs one by
one, then examined the leaves, but
failed to discover the pet.
'The very fact that you cannot find
it," said the naturalist, smiling at my
confusion, adds to it's value, and l
can only tell you that my pet, Lame,
is before your eyes.
l scrutiniZed the branch again, look
ing for some very small creature that
might have passed over. Suddenly l
saw one of the twigs of the branch
slowly rise, moving upward in most
deliberate fashion, and then / caught
the outline of the pet, huge walking
stick or mantis, SO closely resembling
the twig that had it not moved / should
probably still have failed to distinguish
it. Lame was like puzzle, difficult to
make out, but once fixed in the eye
very distinct and pronounced.
The insect was a giant of it's kind
from the forests of the Argentine re-
public 1t was nearly six inches in
length. and initiated a twig so exactly
one might believe a dried branch had
in some mysterious way been endowed
with life. 1t was weird, uncanny OBJ
ject, with it's wooden appearance. It's
black, staring eyes. it's slow movements,
looking more like some grotesque fig
ure of the Imagination than real in
sect in the flesh
LAS quiet as it is" said it's owner,
'it can move with remarkable speed,
-hap, r 1,t 4 T
gagged in a veritable tug of war with a
bird which it was endeavoring to tear
from limb; struggle in which it was
finally successful. You see besides the
legs, used for locomotion, it has two
claspers-serrated or saw-like organs,
which are used very much after the
fashion of the claws of a crab, to seize
its prey and hold it to the mouth.
"The mantis had crept along the limb
just as you have seen it now; raising
one leg SO slowly that it would not have
been noticed. Finally bird about the
size of a hummer, not suspectng that
the twig was a living, ravenous enemy
alighted near it. / could only think of
d tiger crouchng for its prey, as l
could see the wooden limbs seemingly
contract; then like a flash, out went
the toothed claspers, fairly encircling
the unfortunate bird, that struggled in
vain to tear itself away from the knife
like weapons, The more it struggled
the deeper into the trap it fell; the in
sect simply clinging to the limb rigid
and fixed, pressing the victim tighter
and tighter and finally killing it.
This giant mantis was discovered by
Burmeister, the naturalist, and in all
probability is the largest of it's kind.
In passing through China I frequently
saw the mantis kept as pet, and Sc
cured number myself. They were not
as large as the South American speci-
showing a SLY cunning that was re-
markable in SO sluggish an insect. l
first noticed them in the market places,
where they were sold in little wicker
baskets. One day I met Chinaman
in one Of the narrow streets Of Canton
carrying long pole over his back upon
which were strung number Of baskets
each containing a mantis. The person
not familiar with them would hardly
believe that the baskets each held
living animal, as the uncanny wooden
creature chung to it's prison bars close
ly and initiated it very perfectly
These specimens were not kept as
Pets; on the contrary, they were valued
for their fighting proclvities, and were
a prolific source of revenue to the men
who exhibited them. The method was
to go about the city and when a crowd
was found most likely to enjoy a con-
test, they were taken indoors and the
insects placed upon a table about
which the audience gathered The in
sects when opposed to one another
would invariably begin a cat-like ap-
proach, creeping slowly along like me-
chanical toys. When in close proxim-
ity they suddenly threw off their ap-
parent lethargy and rushed upon each
other showing great ferocity and strik-
ing heavy blows with their saber-like
claws; then they would retreat and
naneuyer about each other, one rushing
in and delivering a savage blow, pre-
cipitating the contest, until both were
cut almost in pieces. These contests
are very popular with the natives, who
sometimes wager everything, even to
their last possession, on a favorite."
The writer kept a number of these in
sects at one time and found the most
interesting feature their wonderful
mimicry. 1t was very difficult to find
the nests, as they initiated the color
and even the texture of the wood upon
which they were fastened in a wonder
full manner and would be passed by as
simply an excrescence on the fence. The
latter was the highway of the mants
and at all times of the day they could
be seen walking up and down, holding
their clasped claws aloft as If in sup
plication. They would take fly from
the hand and eat it in a serious way,
but gave no evidence of intelligence;
their habits and mimicry, however,
made them a most interesting possess
sion.