THE CIGALE 69 



without projections, which easily squeezes its way past 

 obstructions. The primary larva, with its various 

 appendages closely wrapped against its body by a common 

 sheath, with its fish-like form and its single and only 

 partially movable limb, is perfectly adapted to make 

 the difficult passage to the outer air. 



This phase is of short duration. Here, for instance, 

 a migrating larva shows its head, with its big black eyes, 

 and raises the broken fibres of the entrance. It gradually 

 works itself forward, but so slowly that the magnifying- 

 glass scarcely reveals its progress. At the end of half an 

 hour at the shortest we see the entire body of the creature ; 

 but the orifice by which it is escaping still holds it by 

 the hinder end of the body. 



Then, without further delay, the coat which it wears 

 for this rough piece of work begins to split, and the larva 

 skins itself, coming out of its wrappings head first. 

 It is then the normal larva ; the only form known to 

 Reaumur. The rejected coat forms a suspensory thread, 

 expanding at its free end to form a little cup. In this 

 cup is inserted the end of the abdomen of the larva, 

 which, before allowing itself to fall to earth, takes a sun- 

 bath, grows harder, stretches itself, and tries its strength, 

 lightly swinging at the end of its life-line. 



This little flea, as Reaumur calls it, first white, then 

 amber-coloured, is precisely the larva which will delve 

 in the earth. The antennae, of fair length, are free and 

 waving to and fro; the limbs are bending at their 

 articulations; the fore-limbs, which are relatively 

 powerful, open and shut their talons. I can scarcely 

 think of any more curious spectacle than that of this 

 tiny gymnast hanging by its tail, swinging to the faintest 



