The Life of the Grasshopper 



needs a blast of air for its manufactures, the 

 blowing-machine will be there, most inge- 

 niously contrived. This machine the Cica- 

 della possesses at the tip of her abdomen, at 

 the end of the Intestine. Here, split length- 

 wise In the shape of a Y, a little pocket opens 

 and shuts In turns, a pocket whose two lips 

 close hermetically when joined. 



Having said this, let us watch the per- 

 formance. The Insect lifts the tip of Its 

 abdomen out of the bath In which It Is swim- 

 ming. The pocket opens, sucks In the air 

 of the atmosphere till It Is full, then closes 

 and dives down, the richer by its prize. In- 

 side the liquid, the apparatus contracts. 

 The captive air escapes as from a nozzle 

 and produces a first bubble of froth. Forth- 

 with the air-pocket returns to the upper air, 

 opens, takes In a fresh load and goes down 

 again closed, to Immerse Itself once more 

 and blow in its gas. A new bubble is pro- 

 duced. 



And so It goes on with chronometrlcal 

 regularity, from second to second, the blow- 

 ing-machine swinging upwards to open Its 

 valve and fill Itself with air, downwards to 

 dive Into the liquid and send out Its gaseous 

 contents. Such Is the air-measurer, the drop- 



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