GRASSHOPPERS 



83 



"No, boys/ 7 the father explained, a that grass- 

 hopper made 1 that hole and is laying eggs. Grass- 

 hoppers lay their eggs in the ground, and the hole 

 in which they are placed they make themselves by 

 means of prongs they have at the rear end of the 

 body." Picking up another grasshopper he showed 

 the boys the prongs 

 and the way they are 

 used for digging. 



" The thing for you 

 to do now, boys, is 

 to watch these grass- 

 hoppers this after- 

 noon and find some 

 more that are laying. 

 You can then mark 

 the spots and you can 

 dig some of them up 

 to-morrow and see 

 how they look. If 

 you will then take good care of the eggs, you will 

 have a chance to see them hatch and you can tell 

 your boy friends how the little grasshoppers come 

 into the world/' the father told them. 



That entire afternoon the boys spent in the garden 

 watching the grasshoppers. They saw three others 

 laying. They marked the spots very carefully, as 

 their father had told them, so that they would be 



(After Riley.) 



FIG. 45. "That grasshopper made that 

 hole and is laying eggs." 



