FABRE'S BOOK OF INSECTS 



produce in the animal. True, it has nothing to do, at 

 every hour of the day and night, but gnaw. The quan- 

 tity of wood that passes into its stomach makes up for the 

 lack of nourishing qualities. 



The grub's legs can hardly be called legs at all ; they 

 are mere suggestions of the legs the full-grown insect 

 will have by and by. They are infinitesimal in size, 

 and of no use whatever for walking. They do not even 

 touch the supporting surface, being kept off it by the 

 plumpness of the chest. The organs by means of which 

 the animal progresses are something altogether different. 



The grub of the Rose-chafer, with the aid of the hairs 

 and pad-like projections upon its spine, manages to 

 reverse the usual method of walking, and to wriggle 

 along on its back. The grub of the Capricorn is even 

 more ingenious : it moves at the same time on its back 

 and its stomach. To take the place of its useless legs it 

 has a walking apparatus almost like feet, which appear, 

 contrary to every rule, on the surface of its back. 



On the middle part of its body, both above and below, 

 there is a row of seven four-sided pads, which the grub 

 can either expand or contract, making them stick out or 

 lie flat at will. It is by means of these pads that it 

 walks. When it wishes to move forwards it expands 

 the hinder pads, those on the back as well as those on the 

 stomach, and contracts its front pads. The swelling of 

 the hind pads in the narrow gallery fills up the space, and 



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