MORSE: ORTHOPTERA OF NEW ENGLAND. 231 
the body the narrow wing-covers to be. In the fifth stage the 
body of the young is about as large as that of the adult, and 
the wing and tegminal pads are conspicuous and nearly as long 
as the pronotum. They are still reversed in position, that is, the 
wing-pads overlie the tegmina, furnishing a ready means of dis- 
tinguishing an immature winged Locust, Grasshopper, or Cricket 
from an adult short-winged species. 
With the next molt (fift'h) the wings and tegmina develop 
fully, if ever; the insect becomes sexually mature, and the activ- 
ities associated only with adult life (stridulation, mating, ovi- 
position) begin. 
It will be evident from this account that there is no quiescent 
non-feeding pupal stage in the life history of these insects, and 
no great change, transformation in form, or metamorphosis, such 
as characterizes the development of a butterfly, beetle, wasp, or 
fly. However, insects of this order in the stage preceding the 
adult, wdth conspicuous wing-pads, are often referred to, espe- 
cially in the older literature, as pupae. A modern term, applica- 
ble to all stages of the young of those insects exhibiting a direct 
development with no quiescent pupal stage, is nymph. This may 
be used for all stages of young Orthoptera. 
The final molt in passing from the fifth nymph stage to the 
adult condition, with the acquisition of fully developed wings and 
tegmina, is of special interest and may be readily seen by catching 
young examples and watching them in captivity. When about 
to molt the nymph takes its place on some weed, grass-stem, or 
suitable object, usually head downward and held in position by 
the hind feet, with the shanks doubled upon the thighs. Shortly, 
the skin splits open in the dorsal mid-line and from the rent 
slow^ly emerges the head and thorax, presently the antennae, 
front and middle legs, and at length the abdomen and long hind 
legs, the shanks of the latter being drawn, while in a soft and 
pliable condition, past the bent hind knees. This accomplished, 
the pale and flabby creature turns around, climbs up on its cast-off 
skin, and rests while the pendant wings expand and the whole 
body stiffens and gains strength. The act of molting requires 
from half an hour to an hour, and the subsequent drying and 
hardening process a like amount of time. It is said to take place 
most often in the warm and moist hours of the morning. The 
