18 THE ORTHOPTERA OF MINNESOTA. 



removed before the young locust can jump about. By 

 contracting and expanding muscular movements this en- 

 veloping film splits along the middle of the back, near the 

 head, and is gradually pushed backwards, remaining as a 

 white crumpled pellet behind. At first pale and colorless, 

 the young locust assumes its dark color in the course of 

 an hour. 



From this account of the hatching process, \ve can readily 

 understand why the female in ovipositing prefers compact 

 or hard soil to that which is loose. The harder and less 

 yielding the walls of the burrow, the easier will the young 

 locust crowd its w^ay out. 



Though the covering which envelopes the little animal 

 when first it issues from the egg is quite delicate, it neverthe- 

 less, in the struggles of hatching, undoubtedly affords much 

 protection, and it is an interesting fact that while, as we 

 have seen, it is shed within a few minutes of the time when 

 the animal reaches the free air, it is seldom shed, if, from one 

 cause or another, there is a failure to escape from the soil, 

 even though the young locust may be struggling for days 

 to effect an escape. 



While yet enveloj)ed in this pellicle, the animal possesses 

 great forcing and pushing power, and if the soil is not too 

 compact, \^ill frequently force a direct passage through the 

 same to the surface, as indicated by the, dotted lines (Fig. 4, 

 e). But if the soil is at all compressed it can make little or 

 no headway, except through the appropriate channel (Fig. 

 4, d). While crowding its way out, the antennae and four 

 front legs are held in much the same position as within the 

 €gg, the hind legs being generally stretched. But the mem- 

 bers bend in every conceivable w^ay and where several insects 

 are endeavoring to work through any particular passage the 

 amount of squeezing and crowding they will endure is some- 

 thing remarkable. Yet if by chance the protecting pellicle 

 is worked off before issuing from the ground, the animal 

 looses all power of further forcing its way out. The in- 



