The Life of the Grasshopper 



nish a perfectly safe support as the soft ma- 

 terial of the building becomes encrusted 

 in them. 



The nests, under natural conditions, enjoy 

 no shelter; they have to endure the inclemen- 

 cies of winter, to withstand rain, wind, frost 

 and snow without coming loose. Therefore 

 the mother always chooses an uneven sup- 

 port for the nest, so that the foundations 

 can be wedged into it and a firm hold ob- 

 tained. But, when circumstances permit, the 

 better is preferred to the middling and the 

 best to the better; and this must be the reason 

 why the trelliswork of the cages is invariably 

 adopted. 



The only Mantis that I have been allowed 

 to observe while engaged in laying does her 

 work upside down, hanging from the top of 

 the cage. My presence, my magnifying- 

 glass, my investigations do not disturb her at 

 all, so great is her absorption in her labour. 

 I can raise the trellised dome, tilt it, turn it 

 over, spin it this way and that, without the 

 insect's suspending its task for a moment. 

 I can take my forceps and lift the long wings 

 to see what is happening underneath. The 

 Mantis takes no notice. Up to this point, 

 all is well: the mother does not move and 



152 



