TREE-HOPPERS. 



151 



insect itself make use of the ovipositor in forming 

 grooves in wood, but foimd that it was so shy and 

 easily alarmed, that it took to flight whenever he 

 approached; a circumstance of which Rf aumur takes 

 advantage, to soothe his regret that the insects were 

 not indigenous in his neighbourhood. But of their 

 workmanship when completed, he had several speci- 

 mens sent to him from Province and Languedoc 

 by the Marquis de Caumont. 



The gall-flies, when about to deposit their eggs, 

 select growing plants and trees; but the tree-hoppers 

 on the contrary, make choice of dead, dried branches 

 for the mother seems to be aware that moisture 

 woukl injure her progeny. The branch, commonly 

 a small one, in which eggs have been deposited, may 

 be recognised by being covered with little oblong 

 elevations caused by small splinters of the wood, de- 

 tached at one end, but left fixed at the other by the 

 insect. These elevations are for the most part in a 

 line, rarely in a double line, nearly at equal distances 

 from each other, and form a lid to a cavity in the 

 wood about four lines in length, containing from 



Excavations fur Cg^s of Tree-hopper, mU/i lids raised. 



four to ten eggs. It is to be remarked, that the 

 insect always selects a branch of such dimensions, 

 that it can get at the pith, not because the pith is 

 more easily bored, for it does not penetrate into it at 

 all, but to form a warm and safe bed for the eggs. 

 M. Pontedera says, that when the eggs have been 

 deposited, the insect closes the mouth of the hole 

 with a gum capable of protecting them from the wea- 

 ther; but M. Reaumur thinks this only a fancy, as 



