THE GRASSHOPPER KIND. 1? 



of this order are said to chew the cud, as they so 

 much resemble ruminating animals in their inter- 

 nal conformation. 



A short time after the grasshopper assumes its 

 wings, it fills the meadow with its note ; which, 

 like that among birds, is a call to courtship. The 

 male only of this tribe is vocal; and upon ex- 

 amining at the base of the wings, there will be 

 found a little hole in its body, covered with a fine 

 transparent membrane. This is thought, by Lin- 

 naeus, to be the instrument it employs in singing; 

 but others are of opinion the sound is produced 

 by rubbing its hinder legs against each other : 

 however this be, the note of one male is seldom 

 heard but it is returned by another ; and the two 

 little animals, after many mutual insults of this 

 kind, are seen to meet and fight desperately. The 

 female is generally the reward of victory; for, 

 after the combat, the male seizes her with his 

 teeth behind the neck, and thus keeps her for 

 several hours, till the business of fecundation is 

 performed. They are at that time so strongly 

 united, that they can scarcely be separated with- 

 out tearing asunder. Towards the latter end of 

 autumn the female prepares to deposit her bur- 

 den, and her body is then seen greatly distended 

 with her eggs, which she carries to the number 

 of a hundred and fifty. In order to make a pro- 

 per lodgment in the earth for them, nature has 

 furnished her with an instrument at her tail, 

 somewhat resembling a two-edged sword, which 

 she can sheathe and unsheathe at pleasure : with 

 this she pierces the earth as deep as she is able, 



VOL. vi. B 



