schlundt] 



A YEAR WITH KATYDIDS 



59 



the shell, with its delicate antennae folded back close to its head. 

 As soon as it had left the shell, it stretched its legs and crawled 

 to the top of the twig with no instructions whatever in walking. 

 We put this one in with the older katydid, which had become 

 quite a bit larger and of a darker color. 



On May 28, I carried them home with me for "exhibition" 

 and brought them back on the following Tuesday. They be- 

 haved beautifully during their visit, allowing me to transfer 

 them from one receptacle to another without even attempting 

 to escape. The limited amount of freedom which they pos- 



'S DAYS 



sessed probably produced a lack of energy and agility in them, 

 although they appeared normally healthy and vigorous. On 

 this same Tuesday, May 28, the older katydid went through the 

 remarkable process of molting, or shedding its skin, which it left 

 in a dried, brown condition on the bottom of its house. Even 

 the covering of its tiny legs and antennae was still a part of the 

 discarded garment. As a result of this change it was larger 

 and of a paler green color. A few days later another molt was 

 found, which very probably belonged to this katydid also, as it 

 was slightly larger than the first molt. 



When school closed for the summer, I took them home 

 with me, but a clay or two later the younger katydid died. This 

 may have been due to the fact that I had left the covered tum- 

 bler in the sun for some time, thus allowing the sun's rays to 

 penetrate the glass and change into heat, but not allowing this 

 heat to escape. The one remaining katydid was soon transferred 

 to a larger case, one side of which was of screening and another 

 of glass. Fresh twigs and roses thrust into the moist soil on 

 the bottom of the cage made a more pleasant and natural ''home" 

 for "Katy". The other eggs did not hatch at all, so that from 

 the beginning of thirty eggs, there was only one katydid left. 

 Clearly this seemed to be a case of "the survival of the fittest"- 



On July 8, I left my little pet in charge of my sister, and 



