The Clythrs 



untouched by the passionate storm, they shake 

 her violently. Thus do the amorous insects 

 declare their flame and win the consent of 

 the hesitating fair. 



The attitude of the couple now tells us the 

 use of a certain organic detail peculiar to the 

 Clythra. In several species, though not in 

 all, the males' fore-legs are of inordinate 

 length. What is the object of these extrava- 

 gant arms, these curious grappling-irons out 

 of all proportion to the insect's size? The 

 Grasshoppers and Locusts prolong their hind- 

 legs into levers to assist them in leaping. 

 There is nothing of the sort here : it is the 

 fore-legs which are exaggerated; and their 

 excessive length has nothing to do with lo- 

 comotion. The insect, whether resting or 

 walking, seems even to be embarrassed by 

 these outrageous stilts, which it bends awk- 

 wardly and tucks away as best it can, not 

 knowing exactly what to do with them. 



But wait for the pairing; and the extrava- 

 gant becomes reasonable. The couple take 

 up their pose in the form of a T. The male, 

 standing perpendicularly, or nearly, repre- 

 sents the cross-piece and the female the shaft 

 of the letter, lying on its side. To steady 

 his attitude, which is so contrary to the usual 

 position in pairing, the male flings out his 

 461 



