50 



SOCIAL LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD 



Two or three weeks after its escape from the earth- 

 that is, about the middle of July— the Cigale begins to 

 lay. In order to observe the process without trusting too 

 much to chance, I took certain precautions which would, 

 I felt sure, prove successful. The dry Asphodelus is the 

 support preferred by the insect, as previous observations 

 had assured me. It was also the plant which best lent 

 itself to my experiments, on account of its long, smooth 

 stems. Now, during the first years of my residence in 

 the South I replaced the thistles in my paddock by other 

 native plants of a less stubborn and prickly species. 

 Among the new occupants was the asphodel. This was 

 precisely what I needed for my experiments. 1 left the 

 dry stems of the preceding year in place, and when the 

 breeding season arrived I inspected them daily. 



I had not long to wait. As early as July 15th I 

 found as many Cigales as I could wish on the stems ot 

 the asphodel, all in process of laying. The gravid female 

 is always solitary. Each mother has her twig to herself, 

 and is in no danger of being disturbed during the delicate 

 operation of laying. When the first occupant has departed 

 another may take her place, and so on indefinitely. There 

 is abundance of room for all ; but each prefers to be alone 

 as her turn arrives. There is, however, no unpleasant- 

 ness of any kind ; everything passes most peacefully. If 

 a female Cigale finds a place which has been already 

 taken she flies away and seeks another twig directly she 

 discovers her mistake. 



The gravid female always retains an upright position at 

 this time, as indeed she does at other times. She is so 

 absorbed in her task that she may readily be watched, 

 even through a magnifying glass. The ovipositor, which 



