248 INSECT MISCELLANIES. 



the earth which covered the bottom of her abode than 

 she extended her wings, with some effort, bringing 

 them before her head, crossing them in every direc- 

 tion, throwing them from side to side, and producing 

 so many singular contortions, that all her four wings 

 fell off at the same moment in my presence. Atlter 

 this change she reposed, brushed her corslet with her 

 feet, then traversed the ground, evidently appearing 

 to seek a place of shelter. She did not seem to be 

 in the least aware that she was confined within a nar- 

 row enclosure. She partook of the honey I gave her, 

 and at last found a hiding-place under some loose 

 earth, that formed a little natural grotto. 



^ If I was surprised at seeing this female strip her- 

 self of her wings voluntarily, I was even more so, on 

 finding that she did not appear to suffer from it, and 

 that, after an act which would seem to us anything 

 but natural, she delivered herself peaceably to her ap- 

 pete, and sought a retreat, as if nothing out of the 

 ordinary course had happened. This singular fact 

 merited confirmation. I introduced a second female 

 under the bell-glass about two hours afterwards, and 

 with the same precautions, adding to the dry earth a 

 little water. When she perceived that she stood 

 upon moistened earth, she advanced a few paces, 

 felt the ground with her antennee, and took up a po- 

 sition in order to dispossess herself of her wings. 

 Resting on her belly, she opened her wings in a dis- 

 orderly manner, extended them in every direction, 

 passed her legs behind them, and pressed them closely 

 toward the ground. When she had succeeded in dis- 

 embarrassing herself of them, I observed her walking 

 about tranquilly in her enclosure, and begin construct- 

 ing a grotto of earth. 



' 1 still possessed another, which I reserved for the 

 following morning, and, being confined to the dry 

 sand, she had not lost her wings, though it was about 



