Daphnomancy Daphnomancy Daphnomancy is a form of pyromancy whereby the future is predicted by burning bay laurel leaves. A loud crackling from the fire is a positive omen, whereas silence is a negative one. "Daphno" is thought to be a tribute to Daphne, an ancient Greek nymph turned into the first laurel tree by Apollo. Originally, the leaves were selected from the Sacred Grove of Apollo, but as time moved on the practice of daphnomancy spread to pre-Christian era Rome and Greece and was thought to be commonly practiced by augurs of both empires. The original grove from which the Romans
Ceylon tree nymph ground. It usually rests on the ends of dead branches or twigs. Mating occurs at ground level and the male and female fly together for an hour or more before mating. The male releases pheromones and other chemicals from its hair-pencils to stimulate the female. These include danaidone, a poisonous substance that helps to protect it from predators, which is later passed on to the eggs. The early stages of life of the Ceylon tree nymph are not well recorded. One account by naturalists Lionel de Nicéville and N. Manders dating from about 1900 describes the larva as "velvety black