Report of a mantis dissection.
Height: 5 cubits. Build extremely lean and sinewy. Musculature more complex than an oratay’s, with more muscle groups and tendons. Remarkably tough subcutaneous tissue, which continued to display vital processes even after dissection: pulsation, contraction, and maintenance of a temperature of about forty degrees. The structure and relative position of many internal organs do not correspond to those of vertebrates. The heart comprises six separated sections and resembles a garland. Genital organs small, concealed in a fold of skin and muscle beneath the abdomen. Fat layer thin, with a pleasant chemical smell. Skeleton powerful and heavy; despite conspicuous distortions, broadly corresponds to the human form. Bones dark grey and somewhat flexible. Cranium massive, with very thick walls. Brain, damaged on the left side, enclosed in a porous, watery membrane; small and smooth, resembling a bird’s in shape.
