THE GREY LOCUST 309 



Let us return to the wings and elj^ra, which have 

 made no apparent progress since their emergence from 

 their sheaths. They are still mere stumps, with fine 

 longitudinal seams ; almost like little ropes'-ends. Their 

 expansion, which will occupy more than three hours, is 

 reserved for the end, when the insect is completely 

 moulted and in its normal position. 



We have just seen the insect turn head uppermost. 

 This reversal causes the wings and elytra to fall into 

 their natural position. Extremely flexible, and yielding 

 to their own weight, they had previously drooped back- 

 wards with their free extremities pointing towards the 

 head of the insect as it hung reversed. 



Now, still by reason of their own weight, their position 

 is rectified and they point in the normal direction. They 

 are no longer curved like the petals of a flower ; they no 

 longer point the wrong way ; but they retain the same 

 miserable aspect. 



In its perfect state the wing is hke a fan. A radiating 

 bundle of strong nervures runs through it in the direc- 

 tion of its length and forms the framework of the fan, 

 which is readily furled and unfurled. The intervals are 

 crossed by innumerable cross-nervures of slighter sub- 

 stance, which make of the whole a network of rectangular 

 meshes. The elytrum, which is heavier and much less 

 extensive, repeats this structure. 



At present nothing of this mesh-work is visible. 

 Nothing can be seen but a few wrinkles, a few flexuous 

 furrows, which announce that the stumps are bundles 

 of tissue cunningly folded and reduced to the smallest 

 possible volume. 



The expansion of the wing begins near the shoulder. 



